VOA标准英语2009-Obama in Germany: Honors War Dead, Speaks of

U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for a redoubling of efforts to get the Mideast peace process back on track. He spoke¹ in Dresden, Germany after talks with German Chancellor² Angela Merkel.
　
U.S. President Barack Obama (r) hugs Holocaust³ survivor⁴ Elie Wiesel during a visit to the former Buchenwald Nazi⁵ concentration camp near Weimar, Germany, 05 Jun 2009

It was a day to honor the victims of World War II - and to push for peace in the Middle East.

At the remains⁶ of the Buchenwald concentration camp, President Obama paid homage⁷ to the victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

"It is up to us to bear witness, to ensure that the world continues to note what happened here," he said.

Earlier, in the courtyard of Dresden Castle - in the midst of a bombed out city, now reborn - he spoke of a modern day conflict and the prospects⁸ for peace in the Middle East.

"The moment is now for us to all act on what we know to be the truth, which is that each side is going to have to make some difficult compromises," said President Obama.
　
U.S. President Barack Obama (2ndR) signs the golden book under the eyes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2ndL) at Dresden Castle, 05 June 2009

Speaking one day after delivering a speech to Muslims worldwide from Cairo, Mr. Obama said in Dresden that he is convinced the time is right for progress in the peace process.

He pointed⁹ to his recent talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And he noted¹⁰ his special Mideast envoy¹¹, George Mitchell, will be returning to the region next week.

"I think given what we have done so far, we have at least created the space, the atmosphere in which talks can restart," said Mr. Obama.

The U.S. president said he discussed the situation in the Middle East with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He called their discussions productive, and said they also talked about Iran and the world economy.

Her decision to invite him to Dresden was personal - a chance to shine the spotlight¹² on a city in the former East Germany, that she knows well.

"It is a city that was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, was then rebuilt after Germany unification. It has again turned out to be a jewel of German culture and civilization," she said.

President Obama's decision to go to Buchenwald was personal as well. His great uncle served in one of the American military units that liberated¹³ the camp. Mr. Obama said it was a memory that burned in him for years.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

3 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

4 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

5 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

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 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

12 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

13 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。