VOA标准英语2009年-US Lawmakers, Students React to Nobel Peac

By Dan Robinson
Washington
10 October 2009

 
President Barack Obama speaks about winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, in the Rose Garden of the White House, 09 Oct 2009
In the U.S. Congress, there has been a mix of reaction to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama.

Majority Democrats² were quick to praise the Nobel award, calling it a recognition of President Obama's efforts to reach out to the world through intensified³ diplomacy⁴ and engagement.

In congratulating the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Mr. Obama is working to restore American leadership worldwide and build bonds of friendship across the globe. She said the award is a testament⁵ to his leadership and vision and a tribute to American values.

House of Representatives majority leader Steny Hoyer said President Obama has committed the U.S. to a course of renewed diplomacy and engagement.

The chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Democrat¹ Representative Howard Berman, said the Nobel award validates⁶ the president's approach to tough trans-national challenges such as global warming and the spread of nuclear arms [and] celebrates his steady efforts to improve America's standing⁷ around the world.

Democrat Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy called the announcement of the award stunning⁸, saying President Obama is reintroducing America to the rest of the world.

There was a notable absence of reaction from congressional Republican leaders, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and House minority leader John Boehner, whose web sites like those of many other Republicans did not post any responses to the Nobel award.

Some of President Obama's sharpest Republican critics who did respond echoed a statement by the Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who questioned the judgment⁹ of the Nobel Committee and repeated criticism of the president's economic policies.

 
US Sen. John McCain (file photo)
Senator John McCain - who was President Obama's Republican opponent in the 2008 presidential race -- said Americans have reason to be proud when their president receives such a prestigious¹⁰ award. McCain told CNN Television that while he couldn't determine the intentions of the Nobel Committee, he is sure President Obama understands that now he has even more to live up to.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers from Capitol Hill, students at The American University offered up their own reactions.

Rahim, a political science student whose family came to the U.S. from Pakistan, says the award could make it easier for President Obama on the world stage, but also raised some questions about the Nobel Committee's motivations. "I think people are really excited about a sitting president getting a Nobel Peace Prize [because] it hasn't happened in a while [but] you also hear the conservatives, not [as] much here on campus but some of my friends who are conservatives, they are talking about how the Europeans are trying to give President Obama a Nobel Peace Prize to convince him to pull out of Afghanistan," he said.

Kennedy Nadler, a 19-year-old literature major from Massachusetts, doesn't see President Obama altering future decisions because of the award, such as those he faces on Afghanistan, but says he and others do wonder about why Mr. Obama received the prize so early in his presidency¹¹. "It seems to be kind of a speculative¹² prize to him because he hasn't really accomplished¹³ quite as much as the other past recipients¹⁴ of the Nobel Peace Prize, such as say Mother Teresa, so there is certainly a sense of confusion," he said.

Anna Ayala, originally from Mexico and a first year graduate student in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at AU's School of International Service, says the Nobel Committee took a chance in awarding the prize to President Obama before his policy approaches bear fruit, but acted to recognize the president's foreign policy goals. "I really feel that they share this vision of supporting and promoting peace, and this is what President Obama based his [presidential] campaign on, diplomacy and dialogue," he said.

Kathleen Davey Mistry, a businesswoman attending a conference at the university, says she was a little surprised at the Nobel award to the president, but questions Republican and conservative criticism of the award. "I thought that it might be a little bit early, but that he did [make] some sincere efforts in trying to help us regain¹⁵ our stature¹⁶. I think we lost a lot of stature overseas. I used to live in France and the French people really like Americans and I think they are actually over the moon [very happy] with this award," she said.

The reactions from students and others at The American University came a day before another Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the Dalai Lama, who received the prize in 1989, was to deliver a speech on Buddhism¹⁷ at the university.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 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》

3 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

6 validates   

v.证实( validate的第三人称单数 )；确证；使生效；使有法律效力

参考例句：

• Other research validates that when it comes to chocolate, type does matter. 其他的研究也证实了不同种类的巧克力确实功效不同。 来自互联网
• Trouble shoots equipment, review and validates data and complete reports. 管理错误描述设备，审查并确认试验数据，完成试验报告。 来自互联网

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

11 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

12 speculative   

adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的

参考例句：

• Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
• The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大，不应理会。

13 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

14 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

16 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

17 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。