2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Reinforces State of Union Message wit

By Scott Stearns
White House
01 February 2006
 

President Bush is applauded as he gives his State of the Union speech, with House speaker Dennis Hastert and Vice¹ President Dick Cheney, left, standing² behind him  
  
President Bush is following up Tuesday night's State of the Union address with a speech in the southern state of Tennessee.  Mr. Bush repeated his assurance that America is winning the war in Iraq.

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President Bush says he understands that Americans are anxious about the future, with continued violence in Iraq and concerns about the economy at home.

"Our state of the union is strong," said Mr. Bush.  "I say that because America is working hard to protect ourselves, we are spreading freedom; our economy is vigorous and strong as well. But there is some uncertainty³ in some people's minds."

Mr. Bush spoke⁴ in the Tennessee city of Nashville, standing before a backdrop that read, "Americans win when America leads."  He says it is his job to worry about threats to the nation and the safety of U.S. troops in Iraq.

 
President Bush in Nashville 
  
"Every day of my presidency⁵, I think about this war," added Mr. Bush.  "That is what you've got to understand, and so when you hear me give a speech and talk about the dangers to America, they are real, not imagined. Some would like us to look at the world the way we would hope it would be. My job as your president is to look at the world the way it is."

Mr. Bush says the electoral win by the Palestinian militant⁶ group, Hamas, shows that voters there wanted change. But he repeated his warning that Hamas must renounce⁷ violence if it intends to work with the international community.

"Hamas now has a choice to make," said Mr. Bush.  "If they want to work with the United States of America, they must renounce their desire to destroy Israel. They must be a partner in peace."

The president Tuesday night again warned Iran that the international community will not allow it to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear program is intended only for peaceful civilian⁹ purposes, including generating electricity.

Wednesday in Nashville, Mr. Bush repeated that threat and spoke of what he says are the aspirations¹⁰ of Iranian voters.

"I spoke first to the government of Iran and said the world will continue to come together in unity⁸ to say you cannot have nuclear weapons," added Mr. Bush.  "But I also spoke to the people because I believe that everybody desires to be free, and I just wanted to assure them that some day they will be able to have a choice in their government."

The president says one reason to be active in the world is to spread peace, and if the United States withdraws from those efforts, he says it will miss the opportunity to make a more peaceful world for generations to come.

Democrats¹¹ responded to the president's State of the Union and this follow-up travel with a television commercial questioning Mr. Bush's honesty. The commercial compares promises the president made in other speeches with what the opposition¹² party says is the truth and criticizes him for the loss of nearly three million manufacturing jobs while running up a deficit¹³ of more than $337 billion.

Mr. Bush continues his State of the Union follow-up with speeches this week in Minnesota, New Mexico and Texas.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 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。

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 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。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 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。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 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。

10 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

11 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。