2006年VOA标准英语-Man Wounded by Cheney Leaves Hospital

By Jim Malone
Washington
17 February 2006

The man wounded by Vice¹ President Dick Cheney last Saturday was released from a Texas hospital Friday. 

Harry² Whittington talks with reporters  
  
Harry Whittington, 78, had been hospitalized since he was accidentally shot by Mr. Cheney during a bird hunt on a private Texas ranch³ last Saturday.

He spoke⁴ publicly about the incident for the first time shortly after his release from a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.

"We all assume certain risks in whatever we do, whatever activities we pursue and regardless of how experienced, careful and dedicated⁵ we are, accidents do and will happen," he said.

Doctors say Whittington continues to recover from shotgun pellet wounds to his face, neck and chest.  He suffered a mild heart attack earlier in the week after one of the shot pellets lodged⁶ in his heart.

Vice President Cheney took responsibility for the accident in a television interview on Wednesday.

Harry Whittington told reporters that he feels badly about the criticism leveled at Mr. Cheney this week for the delayed disclosure of the accident to a local Texas newspaper.

"My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family had to go through this week," he added.  "We send our love and respect to them as they deal with situations that are much more serious than what we have had this week."

Vice President Cheney traveled to his home state of Wyoming Friday to address the state legislature in his first public appearance since the shooting incident.

"I want to thank you for that welcome home," said Mr. Cheney.  "It is a wonderful experience to be greeted with such warmth by the leaders of our great state.  That is especially true when you have had a very long week.  Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well."

Dick Cheney, left, talking with Brit Hume of Fox News, Feb. 15, 2006  
  
In his interview with the Fox News Channel, Mr. Cheney took responsibility for the shooting accident.  But he disagreed with those who contend that he should have been the one to immediately inform the news media about the accident, adding that his first concern was the well being of Harry Whittington.

"It was not Harry's fault.  You cannot blame anybody else.  I am the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend and that is something I will never forget," he said.

Critics say the delay in disclosing the incident is the latest example of an overly secret administration.

But President Bush told reporters Thursday that he was satisfied with the way the vice president handled the hunting accident, which he described as strong and powerful.

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 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 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。

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 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》