2007年VOA标准英语-White House, Congress Negotiate New War Funds

By Scott Stearns
White House
05 May 2007

President Bush and congressional Democrats¹ are negotiating new funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after the president vetoed a measure earlier this week because it included a timetable for a troop withdrawal² from Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

President Bush speaking at the White House, 01 May 2007

President Bush says he is confident political leaders can agree on a war spending bill as he says Democrats have assured him they are committed to funding the troops.

Mr. Bush vetoed $124 billion worth of spending this past Tuesday because it would have forced him to start withdrawing troops from Iraq by October. In his weekly radio address, he said the time for politics is over.

"I recognize that many Democratic leaders saw this bill as an opportunity to make a statement about their opposition³ to the war. In a democracy, we should debate our differences openly and honestly. But now it is time to give our troops the resources they are waiting for," he said.

Without the two-thirds majority needed to over-ride the president's veto, Democrats began negotiating a new spending bill with White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten.

In the Democratic radio address, New York Senator Charles Schumer said the president's veto will not deter⁴ opposition legislators from supporting the troops while pushing to change the mission in Iraq.

"We know how strongly the president feels that he is right. But if he looked at the facts on the ground, he would have to come to the conclusion that most Americans have: We need a change in direction," he said.

President Bush says he has changed direction in Iraq by sending more troops to better secure Baghdad. As that new strategy is still in its early stages, Mr. Bush says Congress needs to give it a chance to work.

He rejects a timetable for a troop withdrawal because he says that would embolden⁵ the enemy and make America appear weak.

"I know that Republicans and Democrats will not agree on every issue in this war," he said. "But the consequences of failure in Iraq are clear. If we were to leave Iraq before the government can defend itself, there would be a security vacuum in the country. Extremists from all factions⁶ could compete to fill that vacuum, causing sectarian killing⁷ to multiply on a horrific scale."

Senator Schumer says it is not the job of U.S. troops to police a civil war between Sunni and Shi'ite. He says Democrats want to focus more on training Iraqi forces and conducting counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaida camps that might pose a threat to America.

1 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》

2 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

3 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。

4 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

5 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

6 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。