2006年VOA标准英语-Concern Over Common Values at the US-EU Summit

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
22 June 2006
 
watch Common Values report

President Bush's summit in Vienna with leaders of the European Union covered a broad range of topics - from trade to terrorism; from poverty to intellectual property; from the Mid¹ East through the Balkans to the Far East with energy and global warming in between.  At a news conference following the talks, the United States itself became a topic, as Mr. Bush was asked why Europeans perceive America to be the greatest threat to global stability. 

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George W. Bush 
  
President Bush responded to the question by a Financial Times newspaper reporter by saying that such a statement was, as he put it, "absurd."  Nonetheless, an Austrian Radio and TV correspondent cited very low public opinion numbers, which indicate substantial majorities on the continent believe Mr. Bush's foreign policy is helping² to destabilize the world.

Raimund Loew   
  
Raimund Loew, of Austrian Radio and TV, asked the president this question. "So my question to you is, why do you think you have failed so badly to convince Europeans to win their hearts and minds?"

Bush response. “Look, people didn't agree with my decision on Iraq. And I understand that.  For Europe, September the 11th was a moment; for us it was a change of thinking.  I vowed³ to the American people I would do everything I could to defend our people, and will." 

 
Austrian Chancellor⁴ Wolfgang Schuessel
  
The summit host, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, noted⁵ that terrorists have killed hundreds of Europeans since September 11th, 2001.  The Austrian leader also called upon Europeans to understand the shock that this date represents not only to the American people, but also to American, European and international values. 

At the same time, Schuessel warned about the need to maintain those values.

"We can only have a victory in the fight against terror if we don't undermine our common values. It can never be a victory -- a credible⁶ victory over terrorists -- if we give up our values: democracy, rule of law, individual rights."

European perceptions that the United States is eroding⁷ those principles have been fueled by allegations of secret CIA prisons and overflights in Europe, as well as charges of unfair treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. prison in Cuba. 

Mr. Bush said he would like to close the facility. "One of the things we will do is we will send people back to their home countries. We've got about 400 people there left: 200 have been sent back.  There are some who need to be tried in U.S. courts. They're cold-blooded killers⁸. They will murder somebody if they're let out on the street.  And yet we believe there ought to be a way forward in the court of law. And I'm waiting for the Supreme⁹ Court of the United States to determine the proper venue¹⁰ in which these people can be tried." 

President Bush said he would continue to act on his belief in the universality of freedom. He promised to stay tough on terrorism. He also said he will continue to show compassion¹¹ to African victims of HIV/AIDS, hunger, and genocide in Darfur.  The Austrian chancellor underscored Mr. Bush's message, noting that his country and Europe would not be the peaceful and prosperous places they are today had America not helped lift its former enemies from the ruins of World War II

1 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

4 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

5 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。

6 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

7 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

8 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

10 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

11 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。