2007年VOA标准英语-US Army Secretary Resigns Over Poor Conditions

By Scott Stearns
White House
03 March 2007

The secretary of the U.S. Army has resigned amid a scandal over the quality of health care for troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, President Bush wants a bipartisan commission to investigate ahead of Congressional hearings by opposition² Democrats³.

 
Francis Harvey (file photo)
U.S. defense⁴ officials say Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked for the resignation of Army Secretary Francis Harvey, because he said he was disappointed that some Army officials were not taking the poor treatment of wounded soldiers seriously enough.

Harvey's forced resignation follows the ouster of the general who ran the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where an investigation⁵ by The Washington Post newspaper uncovered recuperating⁶ soldiers living in a run-down building, infested⁷ with mice, mold and cockroaches⁸.

The scandal is especially embarrassing for President Bush, who regularly visits with wounded troops at Walter Reed.  He used his weekly radio address to announce a bipartisan commission to investigate.

 
George Bush, 2 Mar¹ 2007
"Some of our troops at Walter Reed have experienced bureaucratic⁹ delays and living conditions that are less than they deserve," he said.  "This is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to our country, and it's not going to continue."

Mr. Bush says he will name the members of that group and their deadline for reporting back to him in the coming days. He says he wants the commission to evaluate the treatment of wounded from the time they leave the battlefield to their return to civilian¹⁰ life as veterans.

The commander-in-chief has seen his public approval ratings fall over the war in Iraq. Opinion polls say a majority of Americans oppose the president's sending more than 20,000 additional troops as part of a new strategy to secure Baghdad.

Most opposition Democrats also oppose that plan, but are reluctant to cut funding for the troop increase, concerned that might appear disloyal to soldiers serving in harms way. Democrats have responded swiftly to the scandal at Walter Reed.

Congressional Democrats have already scheduled hearings for next week, one at Walter Reed with some of the recovering soldiers who have struggled through Army bureaucracy.

In the Democratic radio address, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who is an independent, said soldiers with brain injuries have gone weeks without being able to get doctor appointments.

"There is not enough staff with the right skills to treat and care for the severely¹¹ injured troops," he said.  "And, rooms where some soldiers lived were found to be moldy¹² and infested with rodents¹³. Our nation has no greater moral and patriotic¹⁴ responsibility than to ensure that these brave Americans receive first class treatment, not only immediately after their injuries, but for their entire lives, through the Veterans Administration."

Lieberman says it is unacceptable that service members and veterans suffering from mental illness are not receiving proper care.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 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。

3 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》

4 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。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 recuperating   

v.恢复（健康、体力等），复原( recuperate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He's still recuperating from his operation. 他动了手术，还在恢复。
• He is recuperating from a serious back injury. 他背部受了重伤，目前正在康复中。 来自辞典例句

7 infested   

adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于

参考例句：

• The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
• The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

8 cockroaches   

n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At night, the cockroaches filled the house with their rustlings. 夜里，屋里尽是蟑螂窸窸瑟瑟的声音。 来自辞典例句
• It loves cockroaches, and can keep a house clear of these hated insects. 它们好食蟑螂，可以使住宅免除这些讨厌昆虫的骚扰。 来自百科语句

9 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

10 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

12 moldy   

adj.发霉的

参考例句：

• She chucked the moldy potatoes in the dustbin.她把发霉的土豆扔进垃圾箱。
• Oranges can be kept for a long time without going moldy.橙子可以存放很长时间而不腐烂。

13 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

14 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。