2007年VOA标准英语-Showdown on Iraq Resolution Shifts to US Senate

By Deborah Tate
Washington
17 February 2007

The U.S. Senate is to hold a procedural vote on a nonbinding resolution expressing disapproval¹ with President Bush's decision to send more troops to Iraq in a rare Saturday session. The action comes a day after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the measure in a symbolic² rebuke³ to the president's Iraq policy. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

 
US Capitol, Washington DC
Among those senators who support the resolution disapproving⁴ of the troop surge in Iraq is the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John Warner of Virginia. He argues that the Iraqis should be taking more responsibility for the effort to end the sectarian violence in their country.

"Our troops should not be in there to decide, do we shoot at a Sunni? Do we shoot at a Shi'ite? That should be the responsibility of the Iraqi forces, and that is the principal reason that I found differences with the president," he said.

But another Republican, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, disagrees, saying the resolution, even though it has no force of law, sends the wrong message. "The resolution can have a very deleterious effect on the morale⁵ of our troops, on our enemies, who see it as a sign of weakness, and of course, on our allies, who wonder if we will see the mission through."

 
Dick Durbin
Democrats⁶, who narrowly control the Senate, argue that Republicans want to block the resolution from coming to a vote to avoid embarrassing President Bush. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is assistant majority leader. "There is one group in this town that does not want this debate to move forward. Let's be very honest about it: the president and the White House. It is an embarrassment⁷ to have your policy rejected and repudiated⁸ by bipartisan votes in the House and Senate. It is rare, hardly ever happens. So to spare the political embarrassment, some are trying to stop this debate in the United States Senate."

Saturday's vote in the Senate was announced late Thursday by Majority Leader Harry⁹ Reid. Senators, who were to have begun a week-long recess¹⁰ Friday night, had to scramble¹¹ to cancel travel plans -- including some who had planned to visit Iraq. Some senators who are candidates for the 2008 presidential election, including Senator Hillary Clinton, had to cancel campaign appearances around the country.

On Saturday, the Senate essentially¹² will be voting to allow a vote on the nonbinding resolution.

Under Senate rules, 60 members of the 100-member chamber¹³ must approve the procedural measure to clear the way for an up-or-down vote on the resolution.

It will be the second such procedural vote in the Senate on a nonbinding Iraq resolution in two weeks.

Last week, Senate Republicans blocked a similar measure from coming to a vote, arguing that they did so to protest Democratic leaders' decision not to allow a another resolution calling on Congress to continue funding troops in Iraq to come to a floor vote.

1 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

4 disapproving   

adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

8 repudiated   

v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务）

参考例句：

• All slanders and libels should be repudiated. 一切诬蔑不实之词，应予推倒。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Prime Minister has repudiated racist remarks made by a member of the Conservative Party. 首相已经驳斥了一个保守党成员的种族主义言论。 来自辞典例句

9 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

10 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

11 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

12 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

13 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。