VOA标准英语2013--前美国总统候选人支持叙利亚有节制的罢工

 

Former US Presidential Candidate Supports Limited Strike in Syria 前美国总统候选人支持叙利亚有节制的罢工

As the U.S. Congress and the American public debate what ought to be done with Syria, President Obama said a red line has been crossed by the Syrian government. He says it's not his red line, but a red line that violates international norms.  Many in Washington agree, among them Jon Huntsman, one of the Republican contenders for the White House in the last presidential election. 

Jon Huntsman was governor of the western state Utah when he was appointed by President Obama to be the top diplomat² in Beijing.

There isnt an easy set of policy choices here, there is no good answer, but you have to recognize the circumstances for what they are, and that is, a threshold has been crossed and there has to be some response to that, Huntsman told VOA in an interview conducted at his home in Washington.

While acknowledging the toll³ that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have exerted on the American public, Huntsman says to do nothing would send the most unfortunate message.

Recognizing where we have been in the last 13 years in terms of boots on the ground, regime change, pre-emptive measures, a lot of the approaches that were taken in the past while that proved to be very costly⁴ and hurtful to U.S. prestige and standing⁵ abroad, I think we have to learn from those lessons while at the same time, we do have to recognize that chemical weapons have been used here, he said.

Secretary of State John Kerry, in noting the administrations decision to take action in Syria, said administration officials, himself included, are aware of the war weariness many Americans feel: we know that after a decade of conflict, the American people are tired of war.  Believe me, I am, too.  But fatigue⁶ does not absolve⁷ us of our responsibility.

The shadow of Iraq has not only affected⁸ American public opinion, but is also seen as having led to the British Parliaments decision to not join in the coalition⁹ this time around.  But some analysts¹⁰ say not all is Afghanistan or Iraq, and the circumstances that are prompting the White Houses decision to intervene in Syria are very different from the attack on Iraq back in 2003 over allegations - which later turned out to not have been substantiated¹¹ - that Saddam Husseins regime possessed¹² stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

Jeffrey Pryce, a former Pentagon official who teaches at Johns Hopkins University, described the difference as night and day.

In the case of Syria, Pryce pointed¹ out, intelligence gathering¹³ precedes military action, instead of the other way around, and there is plenty of proof that Syrias government was behind the August 21 chemical weapons attack outside Damascus.

You have that coming from several different sources, including European intelligence; you have the Arab League stating pretty unequivocally that this is something for which they hold the Assad regime accountable, Pryce said in an interview.

President Obamas decision to seek approval from Congress for an attack on Syria has surprised many.  Critics say it is a decision made out of political - rather than national security - considerations.

Huntsman, for one, disagrees with the approach.

So if I were sitting at the White House, I think I would have consulted the National Security advisers¹⁴, briefed all of the relevant committee chairs and minority members, and done what I thought is right for the United States - I dont think a vote is needed in this case," he said.

Huntsman said hes familiar with the battle between the Legislature and Executive branches, because of his experience serving as governor of Utah.

My fear is that you set a precedent¹⁵ and Congress begins to take a little more authority away from that which is duly reserved for the Executive branch, and the next time you have a similar set of circumstances, Congress will expect to take a vote again, and that takes time away from the Executive branch, it changes their strategy in terms of how you now have to fashion the issue for Congress - maybe not for other constituencies," said Huntsman.

Huntsman believes it remains¹⁶ a prerogative¹⁷ of the presidency¹⁸ to act based on consultations¹⁹ alone with Congress, and then to get about the business of the country.

President Obama Wednesday defended his decision to seek congressional approval for a limited strike against the Assad regime in Syria.

The fact that Ive had a chance to speak to many of you, and Congress as a whole is taking this issue with the soberness and seriousness that it deserves, is greatly appreciated and I think vindicates²⁰ the decision for us to present this issue to Congress," the president said.

Until now,  Obama has been criticized by some for his reluctance²¹ to get involved in the Syrian civil war.  Pryce said that makes his call to arms more credible²².  I think that hes seen as a reluctant warrior²³, and thats probably a strength at this point.

While speaking to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized the gravity of individual members' decisions.

The world is watching not just to see what we decide, but it is watching to see how we make this decision - whether in a dangerous world we can still make our government speak with one voice, Kerry warned.

Huntsman agreed that choices made in Washington reverberate²⁴ regionally and globally.

This, unlike some of the other conflicts that weve waged in years gone by, is connected to different players in the region who have an interest in the outcome, and the outcome could very well determine what they choose to do in terms of how they move the pieces on the chess board, he said.

The White House has described its intended military action against the Assad regime in Syria as limited and proportional, and does not involve American troops on the ground.  Whether the White House can persuade Congress - and the American public - to go along - remains to be seen.

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 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。

6 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

7 absolve   

v.赦免，解除（责任等）

参考例句：

• I absolve you,on the ground of invincible ignorance.鉴于你不可救药的无知，我原谅你。
• They agree to absolve you from your obligation.他们同意免除你的责任。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 substantiated   

v.用事实支持（某主张、说法等），证明，证实( substantiate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The results of the tests substantiated his claims. 这些检验的结果证实了他的说法。
• The statement has never been substantiated. 这一陈述从未得到证实。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

13 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

14 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

15 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 prerogative   

n.特权

参考例句：

• It is within his prerogative to do so.他是有权这样做的。
• Making such decisions is not the sole prerogative of managers.作这类决定并不是管理者的专有特权。

18 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。

19 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 vindicates   

n.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的名词复数 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的第三人称单数 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• The success of the operation completely vindicates my faith in the doctor. 手术的成功完全证明我对这大夫的信任是正确的。 来自辞典例句
• In one sense the verdict vindicates the Bush administration. 在某种意义上，有罪宣判证明了布什当局是正确的。 来自互联网

21 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

22 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？

23 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

24 reverberate   

v.使回响，使反响

参考例句：

• The decision will reverberate and will jar the country.这项决定将引起反响并震撼这个国家。
• Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my hear.痛苦呼喊的一遍遍的在我的心中回响。