VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton Urges Political Reconciliation in

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday called for political reconciliation¹ in Liberia, using her political career as an example.
　
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (r) with Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Monrovia, 13 Aug, 2009

With 13 political parties represented in Liberia's National Assembly, making law in Monrovia often is contentious².

Former rebel leaders sit next to civilian³ politicians who condemned⁴ them during the country's long civil war. Political opponents of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission want her banned from running for future political office because she backed a rebel leader 19 years ago.

In her address to Liberia's legislature, Secretary of State Clinton told lawmakers who are preparing for the 2011 vote that while hard fought elections are part of a democracy, opponents must close ranks when the election is over.

"It is important not to let politics, which is a noble and critically essential profession, overwhelm governing," said Clinton.

Using her own career as an example, Clinton told Liberians that she has been on both sides of politics.

"I have won elections and I have lost elections. In a democracy, there is no guarantee that you are going to win. I spent two years and a lot of money running against President Obama. And he won," she said. "And then, I went to work to elect him. And then, much to my amazement⁵, he asked me to be his Secretary of State. And I must say that one of the most common questions I am asked around the world - from Indonesia to Angola - is, "How could you go to work for someone you were running against?" I said, "Because we both love our country."

Clinton said it is that love that every successful nation needs to inculcate in its people and its leaders so that politics do not break apart the country and create so much ill feelings that people will not accept the outcome of an election.

1 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

2 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。