2006年VOA标准英语-Syrian Ambassador Welcomes Recommendation for T

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
13 December 2006
 
watch Iraq Syrian report

The Syrian ambassador to Washington says his country is interested in talks about stabilizing¹ Iraq, but not if the United States dictates³ the terms.  The Syrian envoy⁴ spoke⁵ at a panel discussion in Washington about recommendations by the bipartisan U.S. Iraq Study group.  VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports.

Imad Moustapha

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Imad Moustapha called the Iraq Study group report a semi-official admission of what he called "astounding⁶ failure of U.S. policies in Iraq."

He said Iraq is deteriorating⁷ from a disaster to a catastrophe⁸, which could have serious repercussions⁹ for Syria.  For this reason, he agreed with the Study Group's recommendation of talks with Tehran and Damascus.   However, he said any engagement with the United States should be honest, in-depth, and sophisticated.

"We're not going to accept dictation by a superpower. Look at this same superpower and the mess it has brought itself into in Iraq. 

And many Iraqis are not accepting the fact that the United States - the superpower of the world - is going to dictate² on them the future of their own country."

The Bush Administration has been lukewarm about talks with Syria and Iran, saying those countries are fueling extremism in the region.  Ambassador Moustapha, however, recalled Syria's recommendation to the United States when the two countries last held talks prior to the invasion of Iraq.

"We were very clear about at least one thing:  we believe that for you to go and invade and occupy Iraq will mean, as far as we understand our region, it will mean you will fuel extremist terrorism across the Middle East.  This is exactly what has happened."

Coordinated¹⁰ terrorist bombings in Baghdad on Tuesday killed at least 70 people, mainly poor Shi'ites waiting for jobs as day laborers¹¹.  Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed the attacks on sympathizers of former dictator Saddam Hussein and Sunni extremists. 

President Bush has called Iraq the central front in the war against terror.  But Ambassador Moustapha says sectarian extremism and insurgent¹² resistance to the United States rather than al Qaida terrorists are to blame for most of the violence in Iraq. 

Nonetheless, an advisor¹³ to the Iraq Study Group, University of Maryland politics professor Shibley Telhami says the al Qaida threat is real. "On that question, I think, most neighbors would cooperate, because most neighbors are actually threatened by al Qaida, including the Syrian government, including - arguably - the Iranian government, not just the Saudi government.  So in some ways that actually is a potentially core issue for cooperation, not a core issue for conflict."

The Iraq Study Group says the United States should engage Syria and Iran about Iraq without preconditions.  President Bush, however, insists that Tehran and Damascus should first stop funding terrorists and pledge support for the Iraqi government and economy.

1 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

2 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

3 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

5 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。

6 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

8 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

9 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》

10 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

12 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

13 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。