VOA标准英语2010年-VP Biden Meets Iraqi Leaders to Mark U

US Vice¹ President Joe Biden, left, speaks with Gen. Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, right, with Iraqi foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, center, in Baghdad, Iraq, 30 Aug 2010

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq for talks with the country's top leaders.  He is due to preside over a formal change-of-command ceremony Wednesday to mark the start of "Operation New Dawn."

 The U.S. vice president met quietly with Iraq's top leaders Tuesday in a bid to jump-start stalled talks to form a new government, more than five months after inconclusive parliamentary elections.  His visit to Baghdad coincides with the formal end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq.

Iraq's outgoing caretaker, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, hailed the symbolic² event while insisting that his country has once again become a sovereign and independent state.

He said the application of the withdrawal³ agreement of foreign forces constitutes the main step to restoring complete Iraqi sovereignty and achieving the Iraqi people's aspirations⁴ in setting up a free, independent and prosperous state.

Mr. Maliki also urged Iraq's quarreling leaders and political parties to come together.  He called on all Iraqi political parties to unite in the battle against terrorism and in rebuilding the state and its security forces.  That battle, he insisted, cannot be won without national unity⁵.

A recent wave of violence - including simultaneous, coordinated⁶ carbombings - has revived fears of ordinary Iraqis worried about their security as U.S. combat forces withdraw.

One resident of Baghdad, Leith al-Khafaji, worried that Iraq's security forces might not be capable of filling the void left by departing U.S. combat troops.  He said he hopes U.S. troops withdraw today, rather than tomorrow, but also that he's not sure if Iraqi troops are capable of handing the security of the country. Al-Khafaji points out the Iraq's armed forces are not adequately equipped for the task they are facing.

Iraqi Defense⁷ Minister Abdel Qader Jawad al-Bolani, however, told Iraqi government TV that he thought the country's security forces were "well trained and ready to assume to role of protector of the Iraqi people."

Analyst⁸ Peter Harling of the Crisis Group in Damascus thinks the U.S. may be handing over responsibility prematurely⁹ to Iraq's security forces.

"Basically, the U.S. is withdrawing, leaving Iraq with too many loose ends," said Harling.  "None of the questions which were posed by the U.S. toppling of the former regime seven years ago have been answered.  That's true about the power-sharing agreements between the various components¹⁰ of Iraq's society and polity.  It's true in particular of the distribution of resources, of territory-disputed territories.  So the relations between Sunnis, Shi'ites, Arabs, Kurds are largely undetermined.  What's most striking today is that the U.S. is leaving a country where everything seems to remain essentially¹¹ fluid.  Although the situation is relatively¹² calm today, in contrast with the peak of violence in 2006-2007, it's hard to predict where the country is headed."

Harling is not completely pessimistic, however, arguing that the country has "reached a form of equilibrium¹³, of which the U.S. is part."  He foresees an ongoing¹⁴ "renegotiation of the balance of forces" in the country, but is not certain if this will ultimately lead to more or to less violence.
 

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

10 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

11 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

12 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

13 equilibrium   

n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静

参考例句：

• Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。
• This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

14 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。