voa标准英语2008-US Commander says Military Ready to Defend Durin

As the United States prepares for the transition between one presidential administration and another, the U.S. Defense¹ Department is keeping an eye on potential threats from enemies wanting to take advantage of the situation. The commander of the northern air defense organization, NORAD, as well as the U.S. Northern Command, General Victor Renuart Jr., spoke² about the challenges Tuesday at the Baker³ Institute for Public Policy in Houston. VOA's Greg Flakus was there.
　

General Victor Renuart Jr.

General Renuart said the U.S. military is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to protect the nation from conventional and non-conventional threats. He said the terrorist attack on Mumbai, India demonstrates the need to be ever vigilant⁴ and ready to respond to events that may not fit models based on past events.

In a VOA interview, the U.S. Air Force general said special vigilance is needed during the change of administration in Washington.

"This is a period of transition and I think it is conceivable that an adversary⁵ would try to take advantage of that. Our role is to make sure that we maintain continuity of effort in the defense and security and civil support for our homeland," he said.

General Renuart also sought to clarify the domestic role of the U.S. Armed Forces during any catastrophic event. The Washington Post published a report Monday indicating 20,000 U.S. troops are being deployed⁶ to special domestic units to respond to potential terrorist attacks.

Civil liberties groups have expressed concern that this deployment⁷ could undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the military role in domestic law enforcement.

But General Renuart said these troops will not be involved in law enforcement and will only be used to assist other agencies in dealing⁸ with an overwhelming disaster.

"Congress asked the Defense Department about three years ago to be prepared for three near simultaneous catastrophic events - nuclear, chemical, biologic, et cetera. What this capability⁹ does for us is allow us to have in a very well-trained, integrated, rapidly deployable¹⁰ organization, the chemical assessment¹¹, the decontamination, the medical treatment facilities that could help a state and the federal agencies respond to one of these kinds of events," he said.

General Renuart said the domestic force will consist of three forces of 4,700 persons, the first of which became available at Fort Stewart, Georgia on October first. The other two rapid-response forces are expected to be in place by the year 2011.

Civil libertarians, however, remain concerned over what they see as an expansion of executive and military authority on domestic soil.

In comments before an audience at the Baker Institute, General Renuart also discussed such issues as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, protection of U.S. ports and cooperation with Canada and Mexico. He expressed concern over the increasing violence along the U.S.-Mexico border resulting from Mexican President Felipe Calderon's attempts to defeat powerful drug smuggling¹² gangs. The U.S. Northern Command commander said the United States should provide whatever assistance it can to Mexico to benefit the security of both nations.

1 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。

2 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。

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

5 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

6 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。

7 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

8 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。

9 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

10 deployable   

糟透的，可叹的，可悲的； 应受谴责的； 破旧的

参考例句：

• Here you can add and remove deployable languages and retail products. 您可以在这儿添加和删除可部署语言和零售产品。
• Deployable underwater Surveillance Systems-Analysis of Experimental Results. Part 3; Saclantcen rept. 可配置水下监视系统枣实验结果分析。第三部分。

11 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

12 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。