VOA标准英语2013--Far-Reaching American Legacy in Iraq Debated

Far-Reaching American Legacy¹ in Iraq Debated

Black smoke rises to the sky after a suicide bombing in Baghdad's Sadr City, one in a series of deadly attacks marking the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion.

At the scene of another blast, frustration². Some former U.S. officials see the violence as something bigger - a symbol of U.S. hopes for Iraq being dashed.

“I think we’ve gotten out of balance now, and we need to try to bring it back," said former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, He still sees Iraq as a crucial ally, especially as Iran has been using Washington's seeming absence after its troop withdrawal³ as a chance to extend its influence over the region.

"I think they are going to notice and respect, if not appreciate, an enhanced level of U.S. engagement. That was the case not only when we had troop levels on the ground, but a regular high-level diplomatic dialogue. It served as a counter balance to Iranian influence," said Crocker.

Iraq's former ambassador to the U.S., Samir Sumaida'ie, said that with renewed U.S. engagement and support, Iraq could do even more.

“A stable Iraq and a balanced Iraq would be an immensely important factor in stabilizing⁴ the whole region," said Sumaida'ie.

But some, like former U.S. National Security Advisor⁵ Zbigniew Brzezinski, warn against such false hopes.

“If the lesson to be drawn⁶ from it [the Iraq War] is that whenever there are, quote-unquote, murderous groups doing nasty things the United States has to go in militarily to deal with it, I think it’s a recommendation for a policy that will be ultimately suicidal,” he said.

Brzezinski argues that U.S. involvement in Iraq helped cause much of the regional instability that has allowed problems to escalate⁷ elsewhere in the region.

With America's attention now focused on Syria and Iran, Iraqis are left to pick up the pieces of the violence and uncertainty⁸ that continues to influence their day-to-day lives. 

1 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

2 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

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 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

8 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。