VOA常速英语2007年-Japan's Upper House of Parliament Approves Bill

By Naomi Martig
Hong Kong
28 November 2007

Japan's upper house of parliament has approved a bill that would stop the country's air force transport mission in Iraq. It is the latest clash between the opposition¹ party and the government over Japan's role in overseas peacekeeping missions. Naomi Martig reports from VOA's Asia News Center in Hong Kong.

Since removing 600 ground troops from southern Iraq last year, Japan has expanded its Kuwait-based operations to include airlifting U.N. and coalition² personnel and supplies into Iraqi cities. Earlier this year, parliament extended that mission until July 2009.

The bill approved by the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament aims to terminate that special law. It is the first time the Democratic Party of Japan has been able to garner³ enough votes in the upper house to pass the legislation.

Tomohito Shinoda, a professor of politics at the International University of Japan, says many opposition members are against the Iraqi transport mission because they do not believe the war in Iraq was ever legitimate⁴.

"Their argument is since a weapons of mass destruction is not found, which is supposed to be legitimacy⁵ to attack Iraq, therefore there is no help should be given to the multi-national force to reconstruct Iraq," he said.

The bill does not stand a chance of passing in the more powerful lower house, which is controlled by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. It does, however, highlight the opposition's battle with the government over Japan's military missions abroad.

Since winning control of the upper house of parliament in July, the Democratic Party of Japan has been challenging major policies of the ruling party. Early this month, the DPJ managed to stop Japan's mission in the Indian Ocean in support of U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan. The lower house is debating a new law that would redeploy its naval⁶ ships there.

Shinoda says the Democratic Party of Japan passed this latest bill to try to delay passage of the Indian Ocean legislation.

"To spend more time on the deliberation on Iraq reconstruction⁷ abolition⁸ bill, then there will be more limited time available for the passage of anti-terrorism law to send Self Defense⁹ Forces to the Indian Ocean," he said.

Opposition members argue that both missions should be under a U.N. mandate¹⁰, and that they go against the country's pacifist constitution, which prohibits Japan from waging war or maintaining a military.

1 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。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

4 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

5 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

6 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

7 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。

8 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。