VOA标准英语2009年-Sarkozy Leads Charge in Europe to Rebuild Ties

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged European nations to rebuild ties with Iraq during an unannounced visit to that country on Tuesday. Mr. Sarkozy's trip marks the first ever to Iraq by a French leader - and a turnaround in French-Iraqi ties since the U.S.-led war began.
　
French Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy (R) and Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki shake hands as FM Hoshyar Zebari (C)looks on in Baghdad, 10 Feb 2009

President Sarkozy's visit is being viewed as an effort by France to reassert its influence in Iraq, six years after Paris headed international opposition¹ to the U.S.-led invasion to topple former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The French president was greeted by an honor guard in a televised welcome ceremony, held outdoors, despite cold winds in Baghdad.

In remarks to reporters after talks with Iraqi President Jalal Talibani, the French leader urged other European countries to follow suit and come to Baghdad - and to help nurture² Iraq's fledgling government.

In remarks carried on France 24 news channel, Mr. Sarkozy also praised Iraq for its efforts to get out of the impasse³ it has faced in the grips of a deadly insurgency⁴. He said France wants to cooperate with Iraq in economic, energy and security matters. And he said the world needs a united and sovereign Iraq.

For his part, Mr. Talibani called Mr. Sarkozy's visit "historic."

President Sarkozy also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and praised Iraq for holding recent provincial⁵ elections without major violence. Mr. Sarkozy encouraged French companies to come to Iraq and said a French business delegation⁶ would visit the country later this year.

Officials said France plans to build a new embassy in Baghdad and open consulates⁷ in the northern city of Irbil and the southern city of Basra.

Mr. Sarkozy's predecessor⁸, former president Jacques Chirac, was staunchly opposed to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, leading to a low in French-American relations. Those ties have improved since Mr. Sarkozy, who is avowedly⁹ pro-American, took office in 2007.

France was once a key arms supplier to Iraq under Saddam's regime. French and Iraqi officials say the two sides are discussing new sales of military equipment.

1 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。

2 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

3 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

4 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

5 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

6 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

7 consulates   

n.领事馆( consulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Consulates General of The People's Republic at Los Angeles. 中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆。 来自互联网
• The country's embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions stationed in other countries. （七）家驻外使馆、馆和其他外交代表机构。 来自互联网

8 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

9 avowedly   

adv.公然地

参考例句：

• He was avowedly in the wrong. 他自认错了。 来自辞典例句
• Their policy has been avowedly marxist. 他们的政策被公开地宣称为马克思主义政策。 来自互联网