2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Vows Support for Beleaguered Uribe

By Paula Wolfson
Bogota
11 March 2007

President Bush traveled to Colombia Sunday amid tight security in a show of support for President Alvaro Uribe, VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from Bogota the short visit was long on symbolism.

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Presidents George W. Bush (l) and Alvaro Uribe during a joint press conference in Bogota, 11 Mar 2007

President Bush came to Bogota at a critical time. President Uribe, his strongest ally in the region, is dealing³ with a political scandal involving members of his inner circle. And in Washington, Democrats⁴ in the U.S. Congress are questioning the Bush administration's request for billions of dollars over the next few years in additional aid to Colombia, which remains⁵ the world's largest producer of cocaine⁶.

Mr. Bush says "Plan Colombia" - the program set up to battle narco-terrorists - is worthy⁷ of continued U.S. support. And he stressed he has confidence in President Uribe.

"You have set high expectations for your nation," said President Bush. "I appreciate your determination. And I am proud to call you a personal friend, and call your country a strategic partner of the United States."

During a joint news conference, Mr. Bush spoke⁸ directly about the political scandal that has rocked Colombia - the revelation that some of President Uribe's allies had ties to paramilitary commanders.

"I support a plan that says there will be an independent judiciary analyzing⁹ any charge brought forth¹⁰ and when someone is found guilty there will be punishment," he said. "That is the kind of plan I support. And it happens to be the kind of plan the president supports."

Mr. Uribe said the prosecutions¹¹, trials and sentences handed down are proof of just how far Colombia has come in its fight against insurgents¹² and drug lords.

"Instead of being afraid of telling the truth, we have been supporting truth," said Alvaro Uribe. "Instead of looking for ways out of justice, we are trying to support justice as much as possible."

Mr. Bush is the first U.S. president to visit Bogota in a quarter century. Security was extremely tight for his visit with more than 20,000 police deployed¹³ in the city. They stood just a few meters apart, lining¹⁴ his motorcade route. And the entire visit - which lasted less than seven hours - played out largely in the confines of Colombia's presidential palace and an adjacent city square that was closed to the public.

Mr. Bush received a red-carpet welcome in the square. But there was also a raucous¹⁵ welcome from protesters - including one group that clashed with police within sight of his motorcade.

President Bush's critics here in Colombia charge the United States is putting too much money into military aid and not enough into funding programs to help the poor and the disadvantaged.

Before leaving Washington, Mr. Bush announced an increase in U.S. funds to help meet basic needs in Latin America, such as housing, health care and education. Colombia remains the largest U.S. aid recipient¹⁶ in the region and one of the largest in the world, just behind the Middle East and Afghanistan. Most of the American assistance funds that go to Bogota - about 70 percent - are targeted for Plan Colombia.

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 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 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。

4 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》

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

7 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

10 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

11 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

13 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

14 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

15 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

16 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。