PBS高端访谈:特朗普称前任总统也未向阵亡士兵家属致电慰问

 　　Now: new questions surrounding the deaths of four Green Berets in the Western African nation of Niger and the role of the president as consoler in chief. John Yang has the story.

　　Sending young Americans into harm's way can be the most serious decision a president makes.

　　Consoling the families of the fallen has become the latest controversy¹ to engulf² President Trump³.

　　To bolster⁴ his claim that he does more than his predecessors⁵, Mr. Trump today invoked⁶ the dead son of his chief of staff, retired⁷ Marine⁸ general John Kelly.

　　To the best of my knowledge, I think I have called every family of somebody that's died.

　　Now, as far as other representatives, I don't know. I mean, you could ask General Kelly, did he get a call from Obama?

　　Kelly's 29-year-old son, Robert, a Marine lieutenant⁹, was killed in 2010 when he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan, an episode Kelly rarely talks about publicly.

　　Kelly and his wife did attend a 2011 Memorial Day breakfast President Obama hosted for Gold Star families.

　　President Trump ignited the furor¹⁰ when he was asked about his public silence on four Green Berets killed two weeks ago in Niger.

　　If you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls.

　　A lot of them didn't make calls. I like to call when it's appropriate, when I think I'm able to do it.

　　Reporters pressed him to back up the claim.

　　I don't know. That's what I was told. All I can do -- all I can do is ask my generals.

　　The response from former Obama officials was swift and forceful.

　　Former Attorney General Eric Holder¹¹ tweeted this photo and insisted: "Stop the damn lying. I went to Dover Air Force base with 44 and saw him comfort families,"

　　a reference to one of Mr. Obama's late-night trips to pay his respects to troops killed in Afghanistan.

　　Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush often visited wounded warriors¹² at Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals, a practice Mr. Trump has continued.

　　In February, the president and his daughter Ivanka went to Dover for the return of the remains¹³ of a Navy SEAL killed in Yemen, the first casualty of his administration.

　　So far this year, the Pentagon says 16 Americans have been killed in action.

　　Another 17 sailors died in accidents. In the first year of the Obama presidency¹⁴, 344 were killed in action.

　　During last year's campaign, Mr. Trump publicly feuded¹⁵ with the Khans, the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq, after they criticized him at the Democratic Convention.

　　Today, the Khans said: "President Trump's selfish and divisive actions have undermined the dignity of the high office of the presidency."

　　The current controversy comes as questions are being raised about how and why the four soldiers died in Niger.

　　Senator Jack¹⁷ Reed is the top Democrat¹⁶ on the Armed Services Committee.

　　I think the administration has to be much more clear about our role in Niger and our role in other areas in Africa and other parts of the globe.

　　The Pentagon is investigating the deaths. Reportedly among the questions, did commanders adequately assess the risk, and was there ready access to medical support?

　　Today, President Trump called the families of the four dead Green Berets. For the PBS NewsHour, I'm John Yang. undefined

1 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。

2 engulf   

vt.吞没，吞食

参考例句：

• Floodwaters engulf a housing project in the Bajo Yuna community in central Dominican Republic.洪水吞没了多米尼加中部巴杰优那社区的一处在建的住房工程项目。
• If we are not strong enough to cover all the minds up,then they will engulf us,and we are in danger.如果我们不够坚强来抵挡大众的意念，就会有被他们吞没的危险。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

5 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

10 furor   

n.狂热；大骚动

参考例句：

• His choice of words created quite a furor.他的措辞引起了相当大的轰动。
• The half hour lecture caused an enormous furor.那半小时的演讲引起了极大的轰动。

11 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

12 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

13 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。

14 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。

15 feuded   

vi.长期不和（feud的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He feuded with his ex-wife. 他和前妻积怨已久。 来自辞典例句
• The two tribes feuded with each other for generations. 这两个部族世代为敌。 来自辞典例句

16 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

17 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。