VOA标准英语2010年-US, Afghanistan Reaffirm Partnership A

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai (L) and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hold opening discussions to repair ties following public criticisms from both sides, at the State Department in Washington, 11 May 2010

Senior U.S. and Afghan officials have reaffirmed partnership¹ ties in a Washington dialogue aimed at repairing a strained relationship.  Afghan President Hamid Karzai is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

President Karzai was given a lavish² welcome at the State Department in an effort by the Obama administration to rebuild a relationship strained by several months of acrimonious³ exchanges between the two governments.

The United States had been critical of alleged⁴ high-level corruption⁵ in the Afghan government and fraud charges that marred⁶ Mr. Karzai's re-election last year.

The Afghan side, meanwhile, has complained of civilian⁷ casualties in U.S.-led military operations against the Taliban.  And there has been concern in Kabul that the goal of beginning a U.S. troop withdrawal⁸ by July of next year might mean the abandonment of the Karzai government.

But at a welcoming event and gala reception marking the end of Tuesday's talks at the State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan is enduring and will continue long after combat operations end.

 In closing remarks at the dialogue that made no mention of the recent discord⁹, Clinton said real strides and wartime sacrifices by the Karzai government have not gone unnoticed.

"I believe strongly that the story of what has happened in Afghanistan in the last several years is such a positive one," said Secretary Clinton. "The people of Afghanistan have endured conditions that over decades seemed almost insurmountable.  And we know that there must be a concerted commitment that we are willing to undertake - patience, persistence¹⁰, partnership."

President Karzai, mindful of U.S. public opinion polls indicating sagging¹¹ American support for the Afghan war, stressed his country's gratitude¹² for U.S. military and financial support.

That was underlined by a midday visit by the Afghan leader, along with U.S. Defense¹³ Secretary Robert Gates, to Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center to see American soldiers who have been wounded in Afghan combat.

Mr. Karzai said the experience left him at a loss for words.

"I did not know at the moment how to describe my feelings in the appropriate words of gratitude, of recognition and of appreciation¹⁴, and, indeed, of what it takes to succeed against an enemy that is not only the enemy of soldiers, but of our children, our teachers and society as a whole," said President Karzai.

Mr. Karzai said the Afghanistan - U.S. relationship is at times "difficult and quarrelsome," but also steady and strong.

Clinton said the two countries are working on plans to finalize¹⁵ a "strategic partnership declaration" later this year that will put U.S. relations with Afghanistan on the same footing with other key allies.

At the White House on Wednesday, President Karzai and President Obama are expected to discuss, among other things, Afghanistan's plans for a national peace assembly, or loya jirga, later this month.

It is aimed at reintegrating lower-level Taliban soldiers and officers into national security forces.  Secretary Clinton says participants need to renounce¹⁶ violence and abide¹⁷ by the Afghan constitution, including support for women's rights. 
 

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

3 acrimonious   

adj.严厉的，辛辣的，刻毒的

参考例句：

• He had an acrimonious quarrel with his girlfriend yesterday.昨天他跟他的女朋友激烈争吵了一番。
• His parents went through an acrimonious divorce.他的父母在激烈吵吵闹闹中离了婚。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

7 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

8 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。

9 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

10 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

11 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

12 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

15 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

16 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

17 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。