VOA常速英语2007年-US Lawmakers Urge Vigilance Against Iran Milita

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
16 November 2007

A group of Democrats² in the U.S. House of Representatives is repeating concerns about the possibility of military conflict with Iran. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, lawmakers met with reporters, at the start of a two-week break, to signal that Congress will demand that President Bush seek congressional authorization³ before launching any military strikes against Iran.

Six House Democrats used a news conference to repeat concerns about any move by the president to exercise a military option against Iran because of its uranium enrichment program.

In recent weeks, congressional committees have held numerous hearings on the impasse⁴ over Iran's nuclear efforts which the Bush administration says are aimed at developing a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its program is for peaceful energy purposes.

While emphasizing diplomacy⁵ and negotiations⁶, President Bush has also repeatedly said all options are on the table.

In the wake of the U.S. military intervention⁷ in Iraq, lawmakers are making clear they do not want history repeated.

"Saber rattling⁸ that is going on in the White House has no support anywhere in the world," said Sam Farr, a California Democrat¹. "Our allies in Europe have been very critical of it. Our military has been cautionary critical of it. It's not helping⁹ the situation, it's not providing an atmosphere in which dialogue [with Iran] can be created."

Farr and others sent a letter to President Bush last month in which they cautioned him against using congressional resolutions approved in 2001 and 2002 as the basis for pre-emptive military action against Iran.

Those were the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) prior to the invasion of Afghanistan, and the 2002 authorization to attack Iraq. The administration has cited both in various communications with members of Congress regarding presidential war powers.

In the news conference, the Democrats referred to 13 legislative¹⁰ efforts in the House and Senate this year dealing¹¹ with Iran and sanctions against it because of its nuclear efforts, but also attempts to prevent President Bush from initiating¹² military action without first obtaining congressional authorization.

Oregon Democrat Pete DeFazio and California Congresswoman Barbara Lee say Congress is determined¹³.

"To just re-state the Constitution of the United States and the war powers of the U.S. Congress, and make clear to this president that he cannot have a discretionary war in Iran without the consent of the U.S. Congress," said DeFazio.

"The drumbeat to war against Iran is increasing daily, and is strikingly similar to the same drumbeat that we heard that led up to the invasion of Iraq nearly five years ago," Lee said.

The White House issued a chilly¹⁴ response to the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran, emphasizing parts of the document that says Iran is still not fully¹⁵ disclosing its nuclear activities.

While it says Iran is still defying ultimatums¹⁶ to suspend its uranium enrichment, the report also points to what it calls progress by Tehran in revealing the extent of its programs.

Washington state Democrat Jim McDermott accuses the Bush administration of looking for excuses to downplay any progress.

"You look in today's news, the U.N. report on Iran comes out and says that they are not going toward a bomb, they are controlling, they know what is happening, and immediately the American government blows it off and says it means nothing, which is exactly what they did to [former U.N. arms inspector¹⁷ in Iraq] Hans Blix in 2002," he said. "They are beating the drums for war."

California Democrat Farr told reporters that the cautions he and others are voicing should not be seen as a lack of concern about the danger of Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

Rather he says lawmakers are trying to emphasize the need to pursue alternatives to military action.

1 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。

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 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

4 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

5 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

6 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。

7 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

8 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

9 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。

10 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

11 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。

12 initiating   

v.开始( initiate的现在分词 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员

参考例句：

• He is good at initiating projects but rarely follows through with anything. 他善于创建项目，但难得坚持完成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Only the perchlorate shows marked sensitiveness and possibly initiating properties. 只有高氯酸盐表现有显著的感度和可能具有起爆性能。 来自辞典例句

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

14 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

15 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。

16 ultimatums   

最后通牒( ultimatum的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Environmental groups in Nevada and the Midwest have issued similar ultimatums. 内华达和中西部的环保团体也发布了类似的最后通牒。
• A proactive teacher doesn't deliver ultimatums. [先发制人式]师并不下最后通牒。

17 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。