Election Outcome Will Not Affect Spain's Commitment to Fight

Election Outcome Will Not Affect Spain's Commitment to Fight Terrorism, says Powell

 

David Gollust

 

Secretary of State Colin Powell says he does not think the defeat of Spain's pro-U.S. Popular Party in Sunday's elections will mean any lessening¹ in that country's commitment to fight terrorism. The winning Socialists³ had made Spain's contribution of 1,300 troops to Iraq an election issue.

 

Mr. Powell says he has not been able to fully⁴ analyze⁵ the Spanish election results and whether last Thursday's devastating⁶ terrorist attacks in the Madrid area had anything to do with the outcome.

 

But in a talk with reporters enroute to New Delhi, the Secretary said he did not believe the result would undercut that country's role in combating terrorism:

 

"Terrorism has to be defeated, and I don't think the Spanish people are any more inclined to give any encouragement to terrorists, or to give terrorists the slightest impression that they are not going to be engaged fully by the Spanish government, no matter who is Prime Minister or what party has formed the leading coalition⁷. Spain has been beset⁸ by terrorists for many decades and they have been fighting terrorism long before it got on the international screen with 9/11."

 

The Bush administration had forged close ties with the Popular Party government of outgoing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, and his successor as party leader Mariano Rajoy had pledged to adhere to Mr. Aznar's policies, including keeping Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq.

 

Socialist² leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero by contrast criticized the troop presence and pledged to withdraw them by summer unless there was a new United Nations mandate⁹.

 

In his airborne talk with reporters, Mr. Powell said he would await the post-election position of the new Spanish government, but said a new U.N. Security Council resolution has been under consideration for some time.

 

He said the circumstances in Iraq will be "fundamentally changed" with the official end of the U.S.-led occupation June 30 and the handover of sovereignty to an interim¹⁰ Iraqi administration, and that it may be "quite appropriate" to update the existing mandate under Resolution 15-11.

 

He said the United States is working with the Iraqi Governing Council and the United Nations to structure a "proper" role for the U.N. after the transfer, though the matter is not completely resolved.

 

注释：

Secretary of State  n. (AmE.) 国务卿

pro-U.S.  亲美的，pro-是“亲……的意思”，如This is a pro-U.S. group.（这是一个亲美组织。）

Popular Party  社会党

devastate¹¹ [5devEsteit] vt. 毁坏

outcome [5autkQm] n. 结果，成果

enroute [B:n5ru:t] adv. 在途中(to, for)

undercut [5QndEkQt] vt. 雕出

combat [5kCmbEt] v. 抗击

forge [fC:dV] v. 稳步前进，铸造

successor [sEk5sesE] n. 继承者，接任者

pledge [pledV] vt. 保证，使发誓

mandate [5mAndeit] n. （书面）命令，委任托管权

airborne [5ZEbC:n] adj. 空气传播的

await [E5weit] vt. 等候

post-election  选举后的

U.S.-led  美国领导的

interim [5intErim] adj. 临时的

Resolution [7rezE5lju:FEn] n. 决定，决议

1 lessening   

减轻，减少，变小

参考例句：

• So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少，她花多少，她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。

2 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

3 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

6 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 beset   

v.镶嵌；困扰，包围

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。

9 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

10 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 devastate   

v.使荒芜，破坏，压倒

参考例句：

• A few days before,a fire had devastated large parts of Windsor Castle.几天前，温莎城堡的大部分被一场大火烧毁。
• Earthquakes can also cause tsunamis,which devastate coastal regions.地震还引发海啸，它直接破坏海岸地区。