奥巴马:尚未就是对叙利亚采取行动作出决定

 　　奥巴马:尚未就是对叙利亚采取行动作出决定

       WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that he has not made a decision about how to respond to the alleged¹ use of chemical weapons in Syria's internal conflict.

　　"I have not made a decision," the president said in an interview with the "PBS News Hour" at the White House, reiterating² he is weighing options in the wake of the claimed chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus, capital of Syria, on August 21, in which, as many as 1,300 people were reportedly killed.

　　But he said the international norm against the use of banned weapons needs to be "kept in place."

　　"We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out, and if that's so, then there need to be international consequences," he added. "I have no interest in any kind of open-ended conflict in Syria."

　　The UN chemical weapons inspectors³ on Wednesday continued checking sites of the alleged attacks while CIA and the Pentagon working to gather more human intelligence tying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the attack.

　　Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the UN inspectors need "four days more" to finish their work.

　　US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday joined some of his peers by sending a letter to Obama, calling on the president to make his case for launching military strikes on Syria in response to the gas attack.

　　The top lawmaker demanded that Obama "make the case to the American people and Congress for how potential military action will secure American national security interests, preserve America's credibility, deter⁴ the future use of chemical weapons, and, critically, be a part of our broader policy and strategy."

　　"I think it's important that if, we make a choice to have repercussions⁵ for the use of chemical weapons, then the Assad regime, which is involved in a civil war, trying to protect itself, will have received a pretty strong signal, that in fact, it better not do it again," Obama told the PBS.

　　Obama pledged a "limited, tailored approach" that will not draw the United States into the conflict, saying direct military engagement "would not help the situation on the ground."

　　"If we are saying in a clear and decisive but very limited way, we send a shot across the bow saying, 'Stop doing this,' this can have a positive impact on our national security over the long term," Obama said.

　　US media reported that the military strikes under consideration will hit targets inside Syria, involving sea-launched cruise missiles or possibly long-range bombers⁶.

　　Administration officials said the options aim not at toppling the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, but rather a direct response to the use of sarin gas last week.

　　The Syrian government and opposition⁷, engaged in conflict since March 2011, have been blaming each other for the alleged use of the chemical weapons.

　　An assessment⁸ on Syrian government's culpability⁹ is expected to be released by the American intelligence later this week.

　　"When you start talking about chemical weapons in a country that has the largest stockpile of chemical weapons in the world, where over time, their control over chemical weapons may erode¹⁰, where they're allied¹¹ to known terrorist organizations that, in the past, have targeted the United States, then there is a prospect¹², a possibility, in which chemical weapons that can have devastating¹³ effects could be directed at us," Obama said. "And we want to make sure that that does not happen."

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 reiterating   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He keeps reiterating his innocence. 他一再申明他无罪。
• The Chinese government also sent a note to the British government, reiterating its position. 中国政府同时将此立场照会英国政府。

3 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

5 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

9 culpability   

n.苛责，有罪

参考例句：

• As if the estrangement between them had come of any culpability of hers. 姐弟俩疏远的责任竟仿佛落到了她的身上！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• The offence, as now defined in English law, covers a wide spectrum of culpability. 英国法律规定，违法包括很多种过失行为。 来自互联网

10 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

11 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

12 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

13 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。