2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Calls on Lawmakers to Pass Military Fundin

By Scott Stearns
White House
20 July 2007

President Bush wants Congress to approve the annual military budget before it leaves on August recess¹. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Mr. Bush says it is too soon to judge the success of his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Iraq.

President Bush speaks to the media regarding Iraq, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, 20 Jul 2007

President Bush says there have been frustrating² setbacks and important successes in Iraq. After a meeting with military organizations supporting the war, the president again called on Congress and the American people to give more time to his strategy for sending more troops.

"Our nation deserves a serious debate about Iraq, because the outcome of this conflict will have enormous consequences for our country," the president said. "Failure in Iraq would allow terrorists to operate from a safe haven³ with access to the world's third-largest oil reserves."

The president says failure would increase the probability that U.S. troops would have to return to Iraq at some later date to fight a more dangerous enemy. Failure in Iraq would send what Mr. Bush calls an unmistakable message to enemies that America can be bullied⁴ into retreat.

"America's involvement in Iraq does not have to end this way. A free and stable Iraq is still in reach. It has the potential to transform the Middle East and bring us closer to the day when radical⁵ regimes are replaced by peaceful allies," he said.

The president wants more time to show that his strategy is working. A public opinion poll this week by CBS News and the New York Times says 74 percent of Americans believe the war is going badly.

A poll by Newsweek magazine last week says nearly two thirds of Americans believe the President's policy of sending more troops to Iraq is a failure. Despite that and the growing discontent within the president's own political party, White House officials appear confident that they have at least until September to change opinions about the war.

That is when the administration next reports to Congress on the progress of that fight.

President Bush wants legislators to approve the annual military budget before their August recess, saying even those who oppose the war should back a pay raise for soldiers fighting it.

"It is time to rise above partisanship⁶, stand behind our troops in the field, and give them everything they need to succeed," the president said.

Opposition⁷ Democrats⁸ this week staged an all-night debate on the war but failed to come up with enough votes to pass a resolution calling on the president to get combat forces out of Iraq by April of next year.

President Bush says politicizing the conflict in Iraq threatens the larger needs of the military.

"It's a comprehensive spending request that Congress has failed to act on," Mr. Bush said. "Instead, the Democratic leaders chose to have a political debate on a precipitous withdrawal⁹ of our troops from Iraq."

The president says withdrawing troops is a military not a political decision.

1 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

2 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

4 bullied   

adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My son is being bullied at school. 我儿子在学校里受欺负。
• The boy bullied the small girl into giving him all her money. 那男孩威逼那个小女孩把所有的钱都给他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

7 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。

8 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》

9 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。