VOA标准英语2014--Final US Congressional Approval Expected for Ukraine Aid 最终美国国会批准将援助乌克兰

 

Final US Congressional Approval Expected for Ukraine Aid 最终美国国会批准将援助乌克兰

WASHINGTON — As diplomatic efforts continue in hopes of containing the crisis in Ukraine, the U.S. Congress is expected to finalize¹ an aid package for Kyiv and sanctions against Russia for its annexation² of Crimea. A bill likely will go to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature Tuesday.

As Russian forces mass along Ukraine’s southern and eastern borders, the U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to give Congress’ final approval to $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine and economic penalties against Russian officials. House Speaker John Boehner spoke³ about the urgency of the effort.

“Our goal is to work together and to get this bill done as quickly as possible,” said Boehner.

Debate in both houses of Congress has featured some of the fiercest rhetoric⁴ aimed at Russia since the Cold War.  Republican Senator John McCain compared Russia's territorial⁵ expansion under President Vladimir Putin to that of Germany under Adolph Hitler.

“It is obvious, with his troops massed on the borders of eastern Ukraine, [President Putin] is contemplating⁶ further action.  Whether he does so or not, I am not sure.  But I think his calculation has got to do with the cost-benefit ratio of further aggression⁷ against a sovereign nation,” said McCain.

Although it has taken lawmakers several weeks to settle on exact measures to back Kyiv and punish Moscow, their desire to act was never in doubt.  Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said this is not a time to stand by idly.

“The world is watching, and the world's superpower cannot be seen as incapable⁸ of rising to Russia's challenge,” said Menendez.

Russia has both condemned⁹ and downplayed the significance of international sanctions.  While pursuing a diplomatic track to contain the crisis, the Obama administration says Moscow must pay a price for its actions.

“The sanctions that the United States and the European Union have imposed will continue to grow if Russia does not change course.  But as I said…, we are continually hopeful that Russia wants to walk through the door of diplomacy¹⁰ and works with all of us to try to resolve this issue in a peaceful way,” said Obama after meeting with European leader in Brussels last week.

But Russia rejects calls for Crimea to be returned to Ukraine.  Russia’s ambassador in Washington, Sergey Kislyak. Speaking on ABC’s This Week, he declared that “Crimea is part of the Russian Federation¹¹.”

 

Asked if Russia will seize more Ukrainian territory, the ambassador said, “We are not planning to.

1 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

2 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

5 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

6 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

7 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

8 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

9 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。

10 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。

11 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。