2007年VOA标准英语-Senate Backs Timetable for US Troop Withdrawal

By Deborah Block
27 March 2007

Harry2 Reid, Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden after Iraq vote" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070529/0936510.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

(From left) Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden after Iraq vote

The Democratic-led Senate for the first time has signaled its support for a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal³ from Iraq. The Senate late Tuesday defied a White House veto threat and voted to keep a nonbinding timeline for a troop pullout included in a bill funding military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

The Senate, by a 50-48 vote, rejected a Republican-sponsored amendment⁴ to strip the funding measure of the provision that calls for U.S. troops to start pulling out of Iraq within four months, with a goal of completing withdrawal by March 31 of next year.

The vote came just hours after White House spokeswoman Dana Perino renewed President Bush's vow⁵ to veto the bill if it contained the timetable for withdrawal. "The legislation would substitute congressional mandates⁶ for the considered judgment⁷ of our military commanders. The bill assumes the failure of the new strategy even before American commanders in the field are able to fully⁸ implement⁹ their plans," she said.

Many Senate Republicans, including Senator John McCain of Arizona, echoed Perino's comments. "If you announce to the enemy that you are leaving, it is a recipe for defeat," he said.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat¹, noted¹⁰ that public opinion polls show a majority of Americans favor a timeline to bring the troops home. He said the time had come to send the president a message. "This is a civil war. It has turned into an intractable civil war. The president must change course, and this legislation will allow him to do that," he said.

It is the first time the Senate has signaled its support for a timetable for a troop withdrawal from Iraq, having rejected the idea several times this year.

Senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, was among those who rejected a resolution calling for a timeline for a troop pullout just two weeks ago, only to back the idea now. "America finds itself in a dangerous and isolated¹¹ position in the world. We are perceived as a nation at war with Muslims. This debilitating¹² and dangerous perception must be reversed as the world seeks a new center of gravity for this new century. The United States must begin planning for a phased troop withdrawal from Iraq. The cost of combat in Iraq in terms of lives, dollars and world standing¹³ has been devastating¹⁴ for our country," he said.

The House of Representatives last week passed its own version of the spending bill for the military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by August 31 of next year.

Once the Senate approves the overall legislation, a move that could come as early as Wednesday, the measure will have to be reconciled with the House bill before it is sent to President Bush for his expected veto.

The House and Senate would then have to redraft the legislation, as they would lack the two-thirds majorities needed to override¹⁵ the veto.

The overall bill includes 96 billion dollars to continue funding the military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also includes money to strengthen port and mass transit¹⁶ security.

The Pentagon says it needs the funding soon, as money for its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will run out next month.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 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。

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

5 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

6 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

12 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

13 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

14 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

15 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

16 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。