VOA标准英语2008年-Bush Meets Kuwaiti Prime Minister

U.S. President George Bush welcomed Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nassar al-Muhammad al-Sabah to the White House Friday. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.
　
President Bush meets with Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Nassar al-Muhammad al-Sabah (l) in the Oval Office of the White House, 19 Sep 2008

President Bush thanked Prime Minister al-Sabah for naming an ambassador to Baghdad. "It's a recognition on your part that a stable and peaceful Iraq is in your interest," he said. "And we support those interests."

The president says Kuwait is a strategic partner of the United States, and his Oval Office talks with the prime minister was befitting of that partnership¹. He thanked Kuwait for being a good security partner in the region and said U.S. military commanders are appreciative² of Kuwaiti hospitality.

Prime Minister al-Sabah says he is happy that bilateral³ relations between the countries are smooth and says Kuwaitis remain appreciative for U.S. action to free Kuwait from Iraqi occupation during the first Gulf⁴ War.

"Our people can not forget the position that the United States took in leadership of the coalition⁵ forces to liberate⁶ Kuwait in '91," he said. "And since, the United States has become one of our allies in the region."

Prime Minister al-Sabah joined the president and guests at the White House Wednesday evening for an Iftaar dinner breaking the fast of Ramadan.

The Kuwaiti News Agency reports the prime minister is in Washington for a range of talks including the future of four Kuwaitis held as suspected terrorists in the U.S. military detention⁷ center at Guantanamo Bay.

 

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

7 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。