2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Deputy PM Urges US Patience with Pace of

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
22 July 2007

Iraq's deputy prime minister Barham Salih is calling on U.S. officials and the American people to be patient with the pace of political reforms in his country. VOA's Stephanie Ho has more on the story from Washington.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center, presides over a cabinet meeting in Baghdad, 03 Jul 2007

Iraqi deputy prime minister Barham Salih pointed¹ out that although security improvements have been made in Iraq, more still needs to be done politically.

"I agree and I am willing to acknowledge that we need to do more on the political track," he said. "The political leadership of this country, under pressure both from the Iraqi public as well as our friends in the United States, understand the imperative² of making some real tangible³ progress."

Salih appeared on the cable news channel CNN's Late Edition.

He was responding to criticism from Washington, where lawmakers have questioned the continuation of the U.S. military commitment to Iraq if Baghdad leaders do not make adequate political advances.

Senator Olympia Snowe (file photo)

Senator Olympia Snowe told CBS's Face the Nation program she believes Iraqi political accomplishment⁴ is, in her words, "pivotal and central to the success of Iraq."

 

"And there is nothing to demonstrate at this time that would warrant our confidence that they are going to implement⁵ the political benchmarks that they themselves established almost a year ago," she said. "And all the deadlines have come and gone and nothing has happened."

One of those political benchmarks is a U.S.-backed oil law, which calls for a fair distribution of oil income among Iraq's three main ethnic⁶ groups - the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. It has been approved by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet, but has not been sent to parliament because of major opposition⁷.

Iraqi deputy prime minister Salih said implementing⁸ the oil revenue sharing law is not a simple proposition for Iraq.

"For a country like Iraq, having been ruled by the dictatorship for so many decades, we are now trying to bring about an oil law that will change fundamentally the character and the structure of management of oil in our country," he said. "In your country, how long would it take to do so? In our country, we try to do this in a matter of months."

He said Iraqi lawmakers, faced with criticism they plan to take a vacation while laws need to be enacted⁹, say they are willing to stay in session provided the government submits to them a coherent legislative¹⁰ agenda.

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

3 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

4 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

5 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

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 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

9 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

10 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。