VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton 'Encouraged' by Afghan Election De

By David Gollust
Washington
19 October 2009

 
US Secretary of State Clinton, 19 Oct 2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday she is encouraged by the direction of efforts in Afghanistan to resolve the country's election controversy¹. She says she has been assured that a second round of presidential voting can be held before the onset² of severe winter weather in that country.

Clinton and other U.S. officials are not saying that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accepted a run-off vote that could ease doubts about the fairness of the electoral process.

But the Secretary of State says Mr. Karzai intends to announce on Tuesday how he plans to proceed on the issue, and that she is "encouraged by the direction" of events in the Afghan political crisis.

Clinton's comments came after United Nations-backed fraud investigators³ invalidated results from more than 200 polling stations in Afghanistan's August 20th election, which meant that incumbent⁴ President Karzai had dropped below the 50 percent vote threshold needed to avoid a run-off.

Afghanistan's government-appointed election commission is legally-bound to accept the investigators' verdict. But there have been news reports that it and Karzai campaign officials might reject a new vote.

Clinton, in a talk with reporters here, said she has been involved in intensive telephone diplomacy⁵ with President Karzai and his main election rival, former Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, and is encouraged by what she has heard from the parties.

"I am very hopeful that we will see a resolution, in line with the constitutional order in the next several days. But I don't want to pre-empt in any way, President Karzai's statement, which will set the stage for how we go forward in the next stage of this," she said.

There have been concerns expressed that a run-off election cannot safely be held in the coming weeks because of security threats and oncoming winter weather. But Clinton said she has been given "every assurance" from U.S. and NATO military commanders, as well as Afghan security officials, that a second round "is absolutely possible to do."

Clinton acknowledged that the lingering election dispute has been one of the factors delaying a decision by President Barack Obama in his administration's policy review over whether to commit more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. "Obviously, this is a major part of our strategic review as to getting the election behind us, getting a new government that can represent the partnership⁶ we're seeking as we move forward," she said.

Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told U.S. television interviewers on Sunday that the central question is not how many troops the United States sends but whether it has a credible⁷ partner in Kabul that can provide the security and services the Afghan people need.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Army General Stanley McChrystal, has warned that the war with the Taliban could be lost if more troops are not deployed⁸. He reportedly is asking the president to send as many as 40,000 additional troops.

 

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

5 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。

6 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。

7 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

8 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。