2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Begins Push for Support on Iraq

By Scott Stearns
White House
11 March 2006

 
George W. Bush talks to press at conclusion of briefing, Saturday
  
President Bush says he is optimistic that Iraq will not collapse¹ into civil war following sectarian violence sparked by last month's bombing of a sacred Shi'ite shrine².  Mr. Bush begins a series of speeches this month, meant to reassure³ Americans about his strategy for success in Iraq.

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Amid the reprisal⁴ killings⁵ that followed last month's bombing of a Shi'ite mosque⁶ in Samara, President Bush says the Iraqi people took a step back from what he calls the abyss of civil war with a sober reflection on what such violence would mean for their future.

"I am optimistic that the Iraqi people will overcome the challenges they face. And my optimism is based upon reality on the ground," said Mr. Bush.  "There were some people, obviously, trying to foment⁷ sectarian violence. Some have called it a civil war, but it didn't work."

The president spoke⁸ to reporters Saturday following a White House briefing on Iraq with top U.S. military officials. He praised Iraqi security forces and religious leaders for restoring relative calm in 16 of the country's 18 provinces. He says plans for a first meeting of the new Iraqi parliament on March 19 are an important step toward stopping future violence.

"I'm optimistic that the leadership recognizes that sectarian violence will undermine the capacity for them to self-govern," he added.  "I believe, we will have a unity⁹ government in place that will help move the process forward. I fully¹⁰ recognize that the nature of the enemy is such that they want to convince the world that we cannot succeed in Iraq. I know we are going to succeed, if we don't lose our will."

U.S. public opinion polls show nearly four of five Americans, and 70 percent of the president's own party, believe Iraq will disintegrate¹¹ into civil war. The latest Associated Press poll puts Mr. Bush's approval rating at just 37 percent, the lowest of his presidency¹².

In his weekly radio address, Mr. Bush said he understands why many Americans are wondering if the mission in Iraq was worth it, amid the daily news of car bombs and kidnappings and brutal¹³ killings.

Tom Fox of Clear Brook¹⁴, Virginia, is seen in this image aired by Al Jazeera TV on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006  
  
The body of murdered American hostage Tom Fox was found Thursday. The Christian¹⁵ peace activist¹⁶ was abducted¹⁷ along with three other Western aid workers in November.

President Bush did not directly mention Fox in his radio address. He said American security is directly linked to the liberty of the Iraqi people, and he is confident his strategy will result in victory.

"The last three years have tested our resolve," he noted¹⁸.  "The fighting has been tough. The enemy we face has proved to be brutal and relentless¹⁹. We have changed our approach in many areas to reflect the hard realities on the ground. And the sacrifice being made by our young men and women who wear the uniform has been heartening and inspiring."

With U.S. troops in Iraq approaching their third anniversary since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Bush administration is opening a campaign to reassure Americans that the White House has a strategy for success in Iraq.

President Bush, Vice²⁰ President Dick Cheney, Defense²¹ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will all be part of the push to restate that political, economic, and security strategy.

The president says he will focus on the progress U.S. forces are making, the lessons they have learned, and how leaders are fixing what has not worked. In a speech in Washington on Monday, he will talk about defeating terrorists and training Iraqi security forces to defend their own democracy.

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

3 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

4 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

7 foment   

v.煽动，助长

参考例句：

• The rebels know the truth and seek to foment revolution.那些叛乱者知道真相，并且想办法来挑起革命。
• That's an attempt to foment discord.这是挑拨。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 disintegrate   

v.瓦解，解体，（使）碎裂，（使）粉碎

参考例句：

• The older strata gradually disintegrate.较老的岩层渐渐风化。
• The plane would probably disintegrate at that high speed.飞机以那么高速飞行也许会四分五裂。

12 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。

13 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

14 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

15 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

16 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

17 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

20 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。

21 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。