VOA常速英语2007年-US Continues Push for Immediate Lifting of Paki

By David Gollust
State Department
19 November 2007

The Bush administration says it is continuing to push for an immediate¹ end to the state of emergency in Pakistan, despite President Pervez Musharraf's refusal to heed² such a call Saturday from visiting Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte. The second-ranking State Department official briefed President Bush on his Pakistan mission Monday. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

State Department officials say it would be incredibly difficult for Pakistan to have credible³ elections in January with the state of emergency still in place, and they say they have not given up hope for a lifting of the decree, despite President Musharraf's rebuff to Deputy Secretary Negroponte.

Negroponte, the former chief of U.S. national intelligence, left for Washington shortly after a two-hour meeting Saturday in which he delivered what he described as a very strong message to General Musharraf on the need to return to democratic rule.

The Deputy Secretary briefed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and senior State Department staffers on his mission, and then went to the White House for a similar session with President Bush that underscored the importance of the latest dialogue with Pakistan.

General Musharraf reaffirmed his intention to shed his dual⁴ role as military chief when he begins another five-year term as Pakistani president, once his October election victory is upheld by the Supreme⁵ Court. At the same time, though, he is understood to have told Negroponte that the parliamentary elections he has committed to in January can be fair, even with the emergency curbs⁶ still in place.

Both White House and State Department officials dismissed suggestions the Negroponte mission had been a failure, welcoming the Musharraf pledge to quit his military post and saying that, in this kind of diplomacy⁷, one should not expect instant results.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Negroponte had offered his advice and counsel as a friend of Pakistan, and that the United States believes that country cannot have the kind of elections it needs without an end to emergency rule, the release of opposition⁸ detainees and the restoration of free media:

"We would urge him to lift it [the state of emergency] immediately," he said. "We think it's in his interests. We think it's in the Pakistani people's interests. We think it's incredibly difficult, very, very difficult to have the kind of free, fair and open elections that the Pakistani people seem to want, and that they deserve in order to elect a new parliament, and the kind of elections that they need to have to have confidence that their country is going to stay on a democratic pathway."

McCormack said the United States is not trying to dictate⁹ how Pakistan should be governed. But, he said U.S. officials believe that continued democratic and economic reforms, including those introduced by General Musharraf prior to the emergency, will leave the country better positioned to deal with political extremism in Pakistan and the region.

The Bush administration is continuing a review of U.S. aid to Pakistan, mostly security assistance, which has averaged more than one billion dollars a year since 2001.

Administration officials have said cuts in anti-terrorism aid would be counter to U.S. interests, but have not ruled out reductions, if emergency rule stays in force.

Spokesman McCormack said any decisions on the issue are still weeks away.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

3 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？

4 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

5 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。

6 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 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。

9 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？