VOA常速英语2007-Turkey Protests US House Committee's Vote on Arm

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul, Turkey
11 October 2007

The vote in a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives calling the massacre¹ of Armenians in World War I by Ottoman Turks a genocide has caused outrage² in Turkey. The Bush administration opposed the resolution, which is non-binding. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul for VOA that Turkey has recalled its ambassador for consultations³.

Turkey's political leadership was quick to condemn⁴ the genocide resolution that passed in the house foreign affairs committee.

In a statement early Thursday, President Abdullah Gul said U.S. politicians closed their ears to calls for reason and once again sought to sacrifice big problems for small domestic political gain.

In another statement, the government condemned⁵ the decision and said it cannot accept being accused of something it has not done.

Later in the day, Turkey's Foreign Ministry⁶ announced it has recalled its ambassador to Washington, Nabi Sensoy, for consultations.

On the streets of Istanbul, people expressed strong feelings against the committee's resolution, which is non-binding.

"We never make genocide in this land, never, never. I am just telling truth," one man said. "They are just making politics, they are just showing world, we are hooligans, we are bad people, we love the genocide we love to kill. They are just showing the people like that. That's why I am angry."

Just before the U.S. vote, hundreds of people protested outside the U.S. consulate⁷ in Istanbul. There was also a demonstration⁸ in the capital, Ankara.

Feelings are running high in Turkey, both among political leaders and the public.

Ankara does not deny that Armenians were killed, but says the killings⁹ were a result of a civil war in which many Turks died as well.

Nineteen countries around the world have officially recognized the massacre as a genocide.

The fact that the U.S., one of Turkey's closest allies, is debating the issue has led to a sense of betrayal here.

The U.S. Embassy has issued a security warning to American residents in Turkey.

Pressure on the government in Ankara to retaliate¹⁰ if the U.S. resolution is passed by the full House and the Senate could become irresistible¹¹. Turkey has already warned President Bush of far reaching consequences.

One of those consequences could involve American operations at the Turkish air-base of Incirluk. The base is a logistical hub for U.S. forces, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. Government members and a source within the Turkish Foreign Ministry have warned that support at the base could be curtailed¹².

1 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

2 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

3 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

8 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

9 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

10 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

11 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

12 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》