VOA常速英语2007-Bush to Syria: Stay Out of Lebanese Elections

By Scott Stearns
White House
04 October 2007

President Bush says Syria should stay out of presidential elections in neighboring Lebanon. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Mr. Bush met at the White House with the leader of the anti-Syrian majority in Lebanon's parliament, Saad Hariri.

President Bush told Lebanese majority leader Hariri that he expects Syria to stay out of the Lebanese parliament's search for a new president.

"I am deeply concerned about foreign interference in your elections," he said. "The message has been sent to nations such as Syria that they should not interfere¹ in the election of the president."

The Lebanese parliament last week failed to elect a new president because of a boycott² by the Syrian-backed opposition³, led by the Shiite militant⁴ group Hezbollah, which receives funding from both Syria and Iran.

More than a dozen candidates are vying⁵ to succeed President Emile Lahoud, who steps down late next month.

In an Oval Office meeting, President Bush told the Lebanese politician that America is more than just an admirer of Lebanese democracy and wants to help as much as it can.

Hariri said he appreciates the president's support and is confident that the democratically-elected majority will act independent of Syrian interference.

"We in Lebanon have a very important constitutional presidential election that we do not want any foreign interference in this presidential election," he said. "We have had members of our parliament being killed. I ask, Mr. President, that this action is taken by terrorists that want to finish our democracy."

President Bush said he admires Hariri's courage as he works for peace, democracy, and freedom in Lebanon. Mr. Bush again called for faster action from a United Nations tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination⁶ of Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"The international community has demanded accountability. That tribunal has taken too long to get started," he said. "The international community must work more quickly to stand up this tribunal so people will be held to account."

The president said the tribunal will send a clear message that justice will be delivered.

Syria denies any involvement in that killing⁷, which fueled protests that ultimately forced Damascus to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

President Bush said he is impressed with how Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora is dealing⁸ with Hezbollah militants⁹, and said the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Admiral William Fallon, will meet with Lebanese officials to see what more the United States can do to help Lebanon's military.

1 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

2 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。