VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Calls Karzai, Urges 'New Chapter' in

By Paula Wolfson
White House
02 November 2009

 
President Barack Obama (file photo)
U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Afghan President Hamid Karzai to open a new chapter in his country's history by taking action against corruption¹ and implementing² reforms. Mr. Obama called the Afghan leader just hours after he was declared the winner of a presidential election marked by controversy³ and accusations⁴ of fraud.

President Obama acknowledges the election process in Afghanistan was difficult. But he says it was legal.

"Although the process was messy, I am pleased to say that the final outcome was determined⁵ in accordance with Afghan law," said President Obama.

Mr.Obama says he called Hamid Karzai to pass along his congratulations. He also offered some tough talk.

"I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate⁶ corruption, joint⁷ efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security," he said.

 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai (file photo)
Hamid Karzai was declared the winner on Monday, roughly 24 hours after his opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of the run-off election set for November 7.

Abdullah said he withdrew because he believed the voter fraud that marred⁸ the first round of voting was likely to re-occur.

President Obama's first public comments on the dramatic developments in Kabul came as he wrapped up a meeting at the White House with the Prime Minister of Sweden. 

He did not wait to be asked by reporters in the room about the Afghan situation. Instead, Mr. Obama made clear he wants to see President Karzai take the steps needed to make his government credible⁹ in the eyes of the world.

"He assured me that he understood the importance of this moment," said President Obama. "But as I indicated to him, the proof is not going to be in words. It is going to be in deeds."

 
Abdullah Abdullah, former Afghan FM speaking with journalists after a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, 21 Oct 2009
All this is happening as President Obama ponders revisions to his war strategy, including the possible deployment¹⁰ of thousands of additional American troops.

White House officials have stressed they need a strong partner in Afghanistan in order for any such strategy to succeed. And the president made clear he will keep pressure on the Karzai government to deliver on its promises.

"We are looking forward to consulting closely with his government in the weeks and months to come to assure that the Afghan people are actually seeing progress on the ground," he said.

Earlier, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the re-election of Hamid Karzai will help the strategy review process. In his words: "it illuminates¹¹ part of the equation." But Gibbs declined to say if it would hasten a decision on a revised war strategy.

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

9 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？

10 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。

11 illuminates   

v.使明亮( illuminate的第三人称单数 )；照亮；装饰；说明

参考例句：

• The light shines on from over there and illuminates the stage. 灯光从那边照进来，照亮了舞台。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sun illuminates the sky. 太阳照亮了天空。 来自《简明英汉词典》