VOA标准英语2010年-Obama Picks Pentagon Spy Chief to Lead

President Barack Obama announces James Clapper as his choice to oversee¹ the nation's 16 spy agencies as director of national intelligence, 05 Jun 2010

U.S. President Barack Obama has chosen the Defense² Department's head of intelligence to oversee the nation's 16 intelligence agencies.  Retired³ Air Force General James Clapper is the president's choice to be the new Director of National Intelligence.

President Obama says General Clapper is one of the nation's most experienced and most respected intelligence professionals.

"He has improved information-sharing, increased intelligence support to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, upheld civil liberties, and he played a key role in our effort to update and reorient our intelligence community to meet the threats of our time," said President Obama.

If approved by the Senate, Clapper would be the fourth Director of National Intelligence.  Retired Admiral Dennis Blair resigned last month after a series of conflicts with the White House.

Mr. Obama introduced his nominee⁴ Saturday in a brief speech in the White House Rose Garden.

Clapper spoke⁵ for only 40 seconds, saying nominees⁶ for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) are "better seen than heard."

"We have the largest, most capable intelligence enterprise on the planet, and it is the solemn, sacred trust in the DNI to make that enterprise work," he said.

Clapper has spent several decades in military intelligence.  He led the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyzes⁷ images taken from above.  He also headed the Defense Intelligence Agency, which often works closely with the CIA.

Clapper is known for being blunt and direct.  His manner has won praise in the military, but some of the lawmakers who will decide whether he is confirmed say he is not cooperative enough.

President Obama says Clapper's no-nonsense style will be an asset in his new job.

"He possesses a quality that I value in all my advisors⁸: a willingness to tell leaders what we need to know, even if it is not what we want to hear," added President Obama.

Mr. Obama admits that coordinating⁹ the activities of 16 U.S. spy agencies is a major challenge, but he believes Clapper will be able to do so.

"In short, our intelligence community needs to work as one integrated team that produces quality, timely and accurate intelligence.  And let us be honest, this is a tough task.  But this will be Jim's core mission, he is eminently¹⁰ qualified¹¹, and he has my complete confidence and support," Obama explained.

The president says the U.S. intelligence community has vastly improved since the terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon in 2001.  But he says December's incident in which a Nigerian man boarded a jet headed for Detroit with explosives hidden in his underwear shows that more work lies ahead.

Mr. Obama is calling on the Senate to quickly approve General Clapper's nomination
 

1 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

2 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。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

5 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。

6 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

7 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

8 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

9 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

10 eminently   

adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地

参考例句：

• She seems eminently suitable for the job. 她看来非常适合这个工作。
• It was an eminently respectable boarding school. 这是所非常好的寄宿学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。