2007年VOA标准英语-US Democrats, Republicans Assess Way Ahead on I

By Dan Robinson
Washington
25 May 2007

U.S. Congressional Democrats¹ say the passage of funding legislation for Iraq, even without setting a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal², marks a major step forward in efforts to end the war there. VOA's Dan Robinson reports that with approval of the measure, key Republicans are once again signaling that President Bush must consider altering his approach on Iraq if conditions there do not improve over the next four months.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

In a Capitol Hill news conference Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said while Democrats could not impose a withdrawal time line, the legislation is nonetheless a vote against the war, and a significant step for a new direction on Iraq.

"This was a bill that said no more funding, and I think yesterday was an important day, [and] it was a recognition on the part of the Republicans that some accountability had to be in order. I don't think it was enough but it was a recognition that the American people were demanding it. But also, as we said yesterday (Thursday), it was a start of a whole new direction in Iraq, I think that the president's policy is going to begin to unravel³ now."

House Republicans have characterized the result of the funding battle as a victory because Democrats were unable to achieve their goal of establishing a specific time line for U.S. troop withdrawals⁴.

However, President Bush has faced increasing impatience⁵ among Republicans, in both House and Senate, in recent months.

Addressing reporters, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it is clear that without evidence of progress, a reduction in violence and steps by the Iraqi government to achieve political, economic and security benchmarks, the president will have to make a decision:

"I think that the handwriting is on the wall, that we are going in a different direction in the fall, and I expect the president to lead it. In other words, I think he himself has certainly indicated he is not happy with where we are and I think we are looking for a new direction in the fall," he said.

The legislation approved Thursday contains 18 benchmarks the Iraqi government must meet if it is to avoid a reduction in U.S. reconstruction⁶ assistance.

Senator John Warner, who authored the benchmarks with other key senators, underscores the importance of progress by Iraqi leaders and says the president must make changes based on changing conditions on the ground. "We call upon the president to do that and call upon the president to bring forth⁷ any changes in strategy he deems necessary because of such conditions as would be on the ground between now and in July," he said.

In approving the $120 billion funding measure without the timetable, Congress is requiring a review of the situation in Iraq in mid-July.

If conditions in Iraq are continuing to worsen at that point, Warner says, "it would be an opportune⁸ [appropriate] time for the president to shift strategy."

President Bush commented on the legislation Friday before signing it into law. We set a good bill that does not set timetables or tell the military how to do its job, but also send a clear signal to the Iraqis that there [are] expectations here in America, expectations about how to move forward," he said.

Perhaps the most important assessment⁹ date will be in September, when U.S. Iraq commander General David Petraeus, along with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, provides a status report, both to the president and in public appearances before Congress.

Republican Senator Susan Collins says the legislation sends a clear message to Iraqi leaders. "I think this is significant and sends a very strong message to the Iraqi leaders that the status quo is not acceptable."

In Thursday's 280 to 142 House vote on the Iraq funding bill, 140 Democrats joined two Republicans in voting against the measure.

Amid criticism from vocal¹⁰ anti-war Democrats that she and other leaders surrendered, in effect, to the president, Pelosi and House majority leader Steny Hoyer assert the vote demonstrates that Democrats have heard the American people. "There are 232 Democrats in the House of Representatives. There are 232 Democrats that believe our policies in Iraq are failing. There are 232 Democrats in the House of Representatives that believe we need to move in a new direction. The American public should know that the Democratic Party is united," he said.

Democrats say that far from ending the tug¹¹ of war with the president over Iraq, conclusion of this particular funding battle begins a sequence of events involving other legislation, including an effort in September to de-authorize the U.S. military presence in Iraq that Congress authorized¹² in 2002, some months before the U.S. invaded to oust¹³ Saddam Hussein.

1 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》

2 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。

3 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

4 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

5 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

6 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 opportune   

adj.合适的，适当的

参考例句：

• Her arrival was very opportune.她来得非常及时。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

11 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。

12 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

13 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。