VOA标准英语2015--Washington Braces for Controversial Netanyahu Address to Congress

Washington Braces¹ for Controversial Netanyahu Address to Congress

WASHINGTON—

An increasingly-strained relationship between the Obama administration and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu will be on display this week, as the prime minister visits Washington to address a joint² meeting of Congress. Netanyahu will decry³ a potential accord on Iran’s nuclear program in a speech organized by House Speaker John Boehner, without White House consultation⁴, sparking controversy⁵ in Washington and Jerusalem.

Netanyahu insists he respects President Barack Obama, but adds:

“It is my obligation to see to the security of Israel," he said. "Therefore, we strongly oppose the agreement being formulated⁶ with Iran and the major powers, which would endanger our very existence.”

Vice⁷ President Joe Biden and several Democratic lawmakers will not attend Netanhayu’s address Tuesday, and the prime minister’s itinerary⁸ does not include a visit to the White House.  Even so, Secretary of State John Kerry is downplaying any lasting⁹ damage to U.S.-Israeli relations.

“The prime minister is welcome in the United States at any time.  We have an unparalleled, close security relationship with Israel,” said Kerry.

But whatever case the prime minister makes, it will not shake the Obama administration’s belief that negotiations¹⁰ with Iran are worth pursuing.

"We have slowed, even set back, Iran’s nuclear program," he said. "And we are going to continue now to the next step to see - I cannot promise you we can (succeed) - but we are going to test whether or not diplomacy¹¹ can prevent this weapon from being created, so you do not have to turn to additional measures, including the possibility of a military confrontation¹².”

Speaker Boehner’s invitation to a foreign leader without consulting the White House is an unusual, and some would say inflammatory, move.  Boehner has been unapologetic.

“I wanted the prime minister to come here," said Boehner. "There is a serious threat facing the world, and radical¹³ Islamic terrorists are not going to go away.  These are important messages that the Congress needs to hear and the American people need to hear.”

In Israel, a divided public.

“I believe that America is a country that is for freedom of speech, so I think the prime minister has a right to say what he wants to say like everybody else has a right to say what they want to say,” said Anthony Simon who lives in Jerusalem.

Anotehr Jerusalem resident, Mati Simantov, said he thought it was not good for Israel's relations with the United States.

"We have to be in a good position with the United States.  They are friends, probably our only friends in the world, so we have to be very gentle with them," he said.

The perception of a U.S.-Israeli rift¹⁴ has not gone unnoticed in Iran, where Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Netanyahu of scare-mongering and standing¹⁵ in the way of peace.   

1 braces   

n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。
• You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

2 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。

3 decry   

v.危难，谴责

参考例句：

• Some people will decry this,insisting that President Obama should have tried harder to gain bipartisan support.有些人会对此表示谴责，坚持说奥巴马总统原本应该更加努力获得两党的支持。
• Now you decry him as another Hitler because he is a threat to the controlling interest of oil in the middle east.现在你却因为他对中东石油控制权益构成了威胁而谴责他为另一个希特勒。

4 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

5 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。

6 formulated   

v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 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。

8 itinerary   

n.行程表，旅行路线；旅行计划

参考例句：

• The two sides have agreed on the itinerary of the visit.双方商定了访问日程。
• The next place on our itinerary was Silistra.我们行程的下一站是锡利斯特拉。

9 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 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。

12 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

13 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

14 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

15 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。