2007年VOA标准英语-Hillary Clinton, Other Congress Members Visit B

By Jim Randle
Baghdad
13 January 2007

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and other members of a congressional delegation¹ met in Baghdad Saturday with Iraq's prime minister and U.S. military commanders to discuss plans to stem violence in the country. VOA's Jim Randle reports from the Iraqi capital.

 
(From right) Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY., listen as Gen. George W. Casey Jr. gives an update on the situation in Iraq
The U.S. delegation's visit to Baghdad comes amid a debate in Congress over President Bush's proposal to send an additional 20,000 U.S. troops to Iraq to help stem the violence. Most Democrats², who now control Congress, oppose the plan.

Senator Clinton told the U.S. television network ABC that the American people and Congress are skeptical³ that the mission in Iraq can work. And, she expressed doubt that Iraq's government would follow through with its promises to secure Baghdad.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, President Bush defended his plan, saying it marks a new strategy intended to help "secure the population, especially in Baghdad."

 
US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, meets the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad, 12 Jan 2007
Earlier Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed support for President Bush's new Iraq strategy. A statement issued by his office says U.S. forces will be working in support of Iraqi troops as they implement⁴ the prime minister's plan to restore peace to Baghdad.

President Bush's proposed plan also would increase the money and resources intended to help Iraq's economy.

In Baghdad, U.S. diplomat⁵ Dan Speckhard says some Iraqi and community leaders tell him Iraq's success hinges on doing more to bolster⁶ the battered⁷ economy and provide jobs.

He says militias⁸, or other armed groups, will step in and fill the vacuum, if local governments fail to meet the needs of citizens. "You have less space for militias to try to move in, and say, 'well, hey, if the government can't do this, we will start providing services, meeting your needs,' and at the same time have that undesirable⁹ effect of actually causing additional friction¹⁰, sectarian friction, and oftentimes sectarian violence," he said.

Speckhard recently spoke¹¹ to reporters about plans to sharply increase the number of provincial¹² reconstruction¹³ teams in Iraq.

Leaders of some of these teams say they are making progress making local governments more transparent¹⁴ and responsive to citizens, making the justice system more professional and more fair, and improving the climate for business.

But they face daunting¹⁵ security problems and have seen some team members killed, and some Iraqi partners kidnapped or murdered.

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 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》

3 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

4 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

6 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

7 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

8 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

9 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

10 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

11 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。

12 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

13 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

14 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

15 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。