布什会见韩国军人及驻韩美军代表讲话(2008-08-6)

President Bush Visits with American and Korean Troops

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Berlus -- how about the Corporal? What a silver-tongued devil. (Applause.) Thank you, Corporal Berlus. Thanks for the kind introduction. I'm feeling pretty spiffy in my new jacket. (Applause.) Feeling pretty warm in it, too. (Laughter.)

I am so honored to be here at Freedom's Frontier. Thanks for coming out to say hello. I always look forward to the chance to say Hooah!

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: Sure! No better place to do it than right here with U.S. Forces Korea. I thank the units here from the 8th Army Pacific Victors --

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: -- members of the 7th Air Force --

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: -- U.S. Navy Forces Korea --

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: -- Marine¹ Forces Korea --

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: -- and members of the Special Operations Command.

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate the fact that you're carrying our flag with such honor in this vital part of the world. The American people are grateful for your service, and so is your Commander-in-Chief. Thank you.

 

AUDIENCE: Hooah! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: I bring greetings to the South Korean military who is with us today -- members from the KATUSA and the Zaytun Division. (Applause.) We're honored by your friendship. We're proud of our alliance, and we're inspired by your work to advance the cause of liberty.

I also bring my love and greetings and appreciation² to the military families.

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: Now, I understand our spouses³ did not take the oath of office when they enlisted⁴. Matter of fact, their service to the country began with the simple words: I do. So to the military spouses and to the children who are here, please know that the United States of America is grateful for the sacrifices that you all are making on behalf of our country. And I'm proud to be in your presence, and so is the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush. (Applause.)

 
And I'm traveling -- or we're traveling with our daughter, one of two daughters -- welcome Barbara. (Applause.)

I know the Commander very well. See, I got to see General Sharp up close a lot during the last seven and a half years. He was in the Pentagon for a while; then he was transferred to this very important post. So, General Sharp, it's great to be with you again. Thank you for your fantastic service to our country. I'm proud to be with your wife. I also am proud to be with General Lee, Deputy Commander of the Combined Forces Command. It's an honor to meet your wife, too, General. How about Sergeant⁵ -- Command Sergeant Major Robert Winzenried. Robert, I'm glad you're here.

AUDIENCE: Hooah!

THE PRESIDENT: By the way, just so you sergeants⁶ understand, you are the backbone⁷ of the United States military. (Applause.) And I appreciate your service.

We're also here today with the Ambassador from the United States to Korea, Sandy Vershbow, and his wife, Lisa. Ambassador, thank you for your fine service to our country. Proud to be serving with you.

Fifty-five years have passed since the guns went quiet and the cease-fire was signed on this peninsula. Now, for some of you, 55 years seems like a long time. (Laughter.) But if you're 62 years old, it's just a snap of the fingers. (Laughter.) It wasn't all that long ago. And since that time, our forces have kept the peace. Our nations have built a robust⁸ alliance. Notice I'm saying our nations. We're working side-by-side with our strong allies, the Korean people and the Korean military. And thanks to the contribution of men and women who are wearing the uniform just like you, the partnership⁹ between America and Korea has become one of the great success stories of modern times.

We've worked with our allies to help build a free and prosperous country out of the rubbles of war. And America is better off for it. Because of the sacrifice of troops just like you, a part of the world that was ravaged¹⁰ by war is now a -- is now peaceful. And that enhances the security of the United States of America. We're bringing hope to people, and that's important, for people to have hope.

One of the signs of Korea's emergence¹¹ is a professional and capable military. It's one of the things you look for, when you see a country begin to get on its feet and take control of its destiny, is what kind of military does it have?

America is going to continue to stand with the Korean Peninsula, no question about it. And as South Korea has grown in strength, it takes a larger role, more significant role in its own defenses. And so America, in turn, is modernizing¹² its presence. We're closing unneeded installations, and we're going to return this valuable land right here to the Korean people. See, this is a nice piece of real estate, as I'm sure you know. (Laughter.) And it's going to go back to the Korean people. And then we're going to relocate. And that will make this alliance even stronger and even more viable¹³ in the future.

This historic transfer is recognition of the skill and the capabilities¹⁴ and professionalism of the Korean forces. And those forces have become skillful and professional, thanks to the United States military. And I want to thank you for your contributions. (Applause.)

The bedrock of this alliance is our belief in liberty. And there's no place on Earth that more clearly demonstrates the contrast between free and open societies, and repressive, closed societies than the Korean Peninsula. No better place to see an example between the beauty of freedom and the hope of freedom, and the difficulties with repressive and closed societies. And South Korea takes its rightful place on the world stage; North Korea traps its people in misery¹⁵ and isolation¹⁶.

 
The regime at Pyongyang has threatened the peace of the world with pursuit of nuclear weapons. We're responding to this challenge in two ways. First, you're making sure that there's a strong deterrent¹⁷ against North Korean aggression¹⁸, and I appreciate that a lot. And secondly¹⁹, we're going to stand united with South Korea and China and Japan and Russia until we reach our ultimate goal, and that is a Korean Peninsula where people are free from nuclear weapons and free from oppression. (Applause.)

There's another story from this region that's important for everybody to understand, and it shows that freedom is the surest path to move to a more peaceful world. In this part of the world, it's interesting to look at the history. In Japan -- a country that was at one time at war with the United States and obviously others -- freedom has helped transform the enemy into a ally. Freedom has helped transform that country into a prosperous and peaceful nation.

And in South Korea, freedom has helped turn a nation mired²⁰ in poverty and recovering from war into a vibrant²¹ democracy and a strong partner. And here we are in the beginning of the 21st century, and once again, freedom is called upon to lay the foundation for peace that we all want.

We're at war. Oh, I know some in the United States say that we're not at war; they say it's a simple law enforcement matter. Well, in law enforcement you respond after the crime. Hopefully the September the 11th, 2001 lesson will teach us all that it's important to prevent the crime from happening in the first place; that we have a duty -- (applause.) And that's why it's important to use all assets of national power to keep the pressure on the enemy, to do our solemn duty to protect the American people from further harm.

But in the long run, I want you to remember that in this ideological²² struggle, the best way to yield the peace for our children and our grandchildren is to understand the transformative power of freedom. I brought a set of principles to the Oval Office, principles I will not compromise from. And one such principle is I do believe there's an Almighty²³, and a gift of that Almighty to every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth is freedom. (Applause.)

And as you're far away from home, just remember freedom is going to yield the peace. And I want to thank you for being carriers of freedom and liberty. I want to thank you for standing²⁴ strong for certain fundamental truths. And I thank our Korean allies, as well.

Some of Korea's bravest citizens are working to spread the hope of freedom to other nations, especially in the Middle East. Korean troops have served with courage alongside ours in Afghanistan and Iraq. And the people of Afghanistan and Iraq will always remember that the people of Korea stood with them in their time of need. And they'll always remember the contribution that our U.S. troops have made, as well.

Many of you have been to Iraq and Afghanistan. I thank you for volunteering to wear the uniform of the United States in this time of war. It's an amazing group of citizens who, in a time of war, say, I'm willing to serve; I want to serve my nation. And I want to thank you for making a huge difference in this great ideological struggle that is -- here in the beginning of the 21st century.

In Afghanistan we removed a dangerous regime that harbored the terrorists who plotted the attacks on September the 11th, and now we're working to make sure Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven²⁵ for terrorists to plot against us.

In Iraq we removed a dangerous regime that threatened its neighbors and the peace of the world. Removing Saddam Hussein was the right decision at the time, and it's the right decision today. (Applause.)

No question it's been a tough fight against al Qaeda and other extremists in Iraq. Since we launched the surge last year events have turned toward victory. The enemy is on the run. Violence is down. Iraqi forces are assuming more responsibility in the fight. Because of this progress, our troops have begun to come home under the policy of return on success.

We're going to continue to stand with the Iraqi people. America will continue to support the men and women who wear the uniform. And we will defeat the enemy overseas so we do not have to face them at home. (Applause.)

So I thank you for your service. I thank you for your sacrifice. And as I leave this peninsula for probably my last time as your President, I go with confidence in our mission, confidence in our country, and with great gratitude²⁶ in my heart for everyone who wears our nation's uniform.

Thank you for what you're doing. May God bless you. May God bless the people here. And may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 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。

3 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

4 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

6 sergeants   

警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士

参考例句：

• Platoon sergeants fell their men in on the barrack square. 排长们在营房广场上整顿队伍。
• The recruits were soon licked into shape by the drill sergeants. 新兵不久便被教育班长训练得象样了。

7 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

8 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

9 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。

10 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

11 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

12 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

13 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

14 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

15 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

16 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

17 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

18 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

19 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

20 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

22 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

23 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

24 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。

25 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

26 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。