2006年VOA标准英语-President Bush Makes Holiday Visit to Wounded T

By Scott Stearns
Washington
22 December 2006

watch Peter Fedynsky's reort

President Bush, accompanied by first lady Laura Bush, addresses the media about his visit with wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

U.S. President George Bush met with wounded troops before the Christmas holiday. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

The president and Mrs. Bush visited 38 patients at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, just outside the nation's capital.

Most of those servicemen and women were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some lost arms or legs. Mr. Bush awarded 16 Purple Hearts to 14 of the wounded during a visit where he also spoke¹ with family members and medical staff.

He and the First Lady joined Girl Scouts² and children of hospital staff in wrapping and sorting presents for families and children of wounded soldiers to be delivered on Monday's Christmas holiday.

President Bush says the nation owes a huge debt of gratitude³ for what he calls the incredible men and women who serve in the armed forces.

"I want all our fellow citizens to understand that we are lucky to have men and women who would volunteer to serve our country like those who wear our uniform," he said. "We are lucky to have their families support them so strongly. We owe them all we can give them, not only when they are in harms way, but when they come home, to help them adjust if they have wounds or help them adjust after their time in service."

Mr. Bush will spend the Christmas holiday at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Defense⁴ Secretary Robert Gates will meet with the president at Camp David Saturday following his return from a three-day trip to Iraq. White House officials say they will be joined by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser⁵ Stephen Hadley.

The president is working on what he says will be a new way forward in Iraq which he is expected to announce early next year. Among the ideas he is considering is a temporary surge of more U.S. troops to Iraq in hopes of improving security in Baghdad.

After Christmas, the president and Mrs. Bush leave for their Texas ranch⁶ where there will be a meeting of the National Security Council on December 28. Mr. and Mrs. Bush return to Washington on New Year's Day.

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 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

3 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。

4 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。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。