voa标准英语2008-British Leader Explains Planned Troop Withdrawal

Addressing parliament Thursday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled the specifics of next year's British military withdrawal¹ from Iraq after what will be six years of deployment².
　

Gordon Brown has rejected an early inquiry3 into why his country went to war in Iraq

Mr. Brown said after consultations⁴ with his Iraqi counterpart, the bulk of British forces will be out of southern Iraq by the end of July with just a few hundred left to assist in naval⁵ training duties.

Brown pays tribute to British troops

In a lively House of Commons session, Prime Minister Brown paid tribute to the British personnel who have served in Iraq. Opposition⁶ politicians did as well. But with the deployment now winding⁷ down, people like Conservative leader David Cameron are urging Mr. Brown to open an inquiry into why Britain went to war in the first place and its role in Iraq through the years.

"What we need surely is a robust⁸, independent inquiry with power and membership comparable to the Franks' inquiry into the Falkland's war. Should it not examine the origins and conduct of the war in their entirety and be able to question minister including all the members of the war cabinet? Will the prime minister give a commitment today to set up such an inquiry so we can learn from the mistakes that were made? Does he not agree with me it is just one, just one of the many things that we owe to our brave armed forces?" he asked.

PM rejects Conservatives' demand for Iraq war inquiry

Mr. Brown responded by once again rejecting an early inquiry. He said that cannot be considered until all British forces are out of the country.

He also reiterated⁹ that Britain was right to have entered the conflict.

"As we leave, the Iraqi forces are strong enough both to maintain order in the Basra area and to have policing services which while not ideal are sufficient for the task. Of course there are very difficult days ahead for Iraq. It has still got a great deal of work to do as he has said rebuilding its economy but I believe we have made a very significant contribution to it," said Brown.

Liberals ask 'was the war worth it?'

The leader of the Liberal Democrats¹⁰, Nick Clegg, said the British people demand answers to what he said was an illegal war.

"The inquiry should be open. It should be held in public because it is the public who need to see and hear that lessons really are being learned. The government must not end this war as they started it, in secret unaccountable, behind closed doors," he said. "But does the prime minister agree with me, does the prime minister..." Clegg asked.

"Let the right honorable gentleman speak," interjected the Speaker.

"Of course they do not want to be reminded of the past because they refuse to learn the lessons about the future," Clegg continued.

Mr. Brown again said he believed the war was worth it.

"I think people can be proud today Iraq is in a far better position than it was five years ago," the prime minister said.

178 British service personnel have so far died in Iraq. A memorial honoring them will be brought from Iraq to Britain once the last troops depart for home.

1 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。

2 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。

3 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

4 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 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。

7 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

8 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

9 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

10 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》