2006年VOA标准英语-House Approves Foreign Aid Legislation

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
09 June 2006

The House of Representatives has approved by a vote of 373 to 34 a nearly $21 billion foreign aid bill, including money for key allies in the war on terrorism, as well as assistance for Darfur and funding for the battle against AIDS.   Much of the debate focused on the question of U.S. assistance to Egypt:

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The Foreign Operations spending bill, which is $2.4 billion below President Bush's request, typically reflects difficult choices in a tough budget environment.

It fully¹ funds President Bush's $2.3 billion request for Israel, which gets an $83 million boost for security and counter-terrorism efforts, and $120 million dollars for economic aid.

Egypt receives $1.7 billion, with $100 million set aside specifically for political reform programs and education initiatives in that country.

For more than an hour, lawmakers debated, but ultimately rejected, a bipartisan attempt to remove $100 million from economic aid to Egypt because of Cairo's crackdown on political activists² and slow progress toward reforms.

Wisconsin Democrat³ David Obey and Republican Jim Kolbe had this to say.

OBEY:  "I hoped and expected that the government of Egypt would get the hint and make some moves to loosen its grip on political freedom and democratic reforms.   Instead, I am sad to say we've gotten backsliding on municipal elections, an extension of emergency laws, repression⁴ of judicial⁵ freedoms and a crackdown on demonstrations⁶ and rallies."

KOLBE:  "Any attempt to pressure Egypt into hastening its transition to democracy could push this country away from the United States and allow another foreign power to gain a foothold in the region that could be very detrimental⁷ not only to our interests but to the interests of peace in the region."

Iraq receives $522 million for stabilization⁸ efforts, more than $200 million below the president's request, but a $461 million increase over 2006 levels.

The $962 million provided for Afghanistan is $85 million more than last year, but does not meet President Bush's request, and funds are withheld⁹ because lawmakers believe the Afghan government is not doing enough to eradicate¹⁰ opium¹¹ cultivation¹².

"I want to be clear that I appreciate the support of the government of Afghanistan in the war on terror," he said.  "However, that government must take difficult but necessary measures to fight narcotics¹³ production and trafficking, measures that so far it has been unwilling¹⁴ or unable to take."

U.S. assistance to the West Bank and Gaza reflects congressional displeasure over the victory by Hamas in Palestinian elections.

Lawmakers decided¹⁵ to withhold¹⁶ $150 million in economic aid, but did provide $80 million in humanitarian¹⁷ and pro-democracy assistance, with the condition it is not used to support Hamas.

Roughly $3.4 billion supports President Bush's multi-year program to fight AIDS, while $445 million goes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis¹⁸ and Malaria¹⁹.

Although the bill was the product of bipartisan cooperation, lawmakers said they regretted areas requiring cuts, including migration²⁰ and refugee assistance, peacekeeping, and economic support programs for Eastern Europe and the former Soviet²¹ Union. 

Congresswoman Nita Lowey criticized the bill for placing no restrictions²² on military aid to two countries, Indonesia and Guatemala.

"I am disappointed that this bill places no conditionality²³ whatsoever²⁴ on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia and Guatemala," she said.  "And despite constructive²⁵ language on Indonesia included in the [Fiscal Year] 2006 bill, this [2007] bill fails to send the message that the U.S. does expect Indonesia to continue on the path of achieving true civilian²⁶ control over the military and accountability for human rights abuses."

The House bill fully funds requested levels for Liberia, Sudan and Haiti, providing $450 million for Sudan, including $138 million for Darfur.

Lawmakers stipulated²⁷ that assistance to the government in Khartoum must be used only to support the Comprehensive [North-South] Peace Agreement or the separate accord for Darfur.

Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick said Congress needs to do more for Darfur:

"We have got to do more there, we have got to rise up as a nation and offer the leadership of the United States to bring this decimation of millions of people and their lives and children to a rest," she said.

House foreign aid legislation must be reconciled with a Senate version before a final bill can go to President Bush for signature.

House and Senate conferees have been engaged in difficult negotiations²⁸ on a separate spending bill containing billions of dollars for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

1 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。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

5 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

6 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

7 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

8 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

9 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

11 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

12 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

13 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

15 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

16 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

17 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

18 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

19 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

20 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

21 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

22 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

23 conditionality   

n.受限制性，制约性

参考例句：

• We have the same value plus half the upside, with no conditionality. 我们获得了相同价值，外加一半的上行机会，而且没有条件限制。 来自互联网
• Gate conditionality does not mitigate the adverse effect of gate review criteria. 关卡制约性不会减少关卡评价标准的反作用。 来自互联网

24 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

25 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

26 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。

27 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

28 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。