2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Supports Bigger US Military for Long Ideol

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
20 December 2006

President Bush says he wants to increase the size of the U.S. Army and Marine¹ Corps² because he believes the United States is at the beginning of a long struggle between competing ideologies³.  And his new defense⁴ secretary said in Baghdad the increase is needed because of the many and varied⁵ missions the U.S. military is being asked to perform.  But no one is saying how big an increase there should be, or how fast it should happen.  VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

President Bush says he has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to report back as soon as possible with details on increasing the size of U.S. ground forces.  He announced his support for the idea in an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday, and expanded on it at a news conference on Wednesday.

 
George Bush at White House, 20 Dec 2006 
"The reason why I am inclined to believe this is a good idea is because I understand that we are going to be in a long struggle against radicals⁶ and extremists," he said.  "And we must make sure that our military has the capability⁷ to stay in the fight for a long period of time."

The president said it will take some time "for the ideology⁸ of liberty to finally triumph over the ideology of hate."

"We are in the beginning of a conflict between competing ideologies, a conflict that will determine whether or not your children can live in peace," he added.

The president has given the job of determining the size and timing⁹ of an increase to Defense Secretary Gates, who was in Baghdad - his third day on the job.

"With all of the missions that the army and the Marine Corps have had had in recent years, not just Iraq and Afghanistan, but the challenges that we potentially face in Iran and North Korea and elsewhere, not to mention other things like rescue missions related to Hurricane Katrina, that frankly¹⁰ the question arose whether the army is in fact large enough to carry out all the missions it has been assigned," noted¹¹ Mr. Bush.

 
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, talks with Army Major General Joseph F. Fil Jr., during his visit to Baghdad
Gates said that question arose even though the army has increased its combat capability within the existing force through reform efforts.  He also said there is a question of how much the U.S. government can afford to increase the size of the military, particularly with billions of dollars already being spent to modernize¹² the current force.

Last week, the top officer in the U.S. Army, General Peter Schoomaker, said it would be "wise and prudent¹³" to increase the size of the army, because of what he called the "strain" caused by continuous combat operations during the last five years.  

But Secretary Gates noted in Baghdad that any increase in U.S. troop strength will not affect the current situation there.

"A decision to increase the size of the army today really will not show up in troops, if you will, trained troops for some period of time," he added.

The top U.S. military officer, General Peter Pace, has said it would take two years to recruit, train and equip additional troops.  The ongoing¹⁴ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made it more difficult for the military to meet its recruiting goals in order to maintain the current force strength, but those goals have been met recently.

The 2.8 million men and women in the active and reserve U.S. military are all volunteers.

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 ideologies   

n.思想（体系）( ideology的名词复数 )；思想意识；意识形态；观念形态

参考例句：

• There is no fundamental diversity between the two ideologies. 这两种思想意识之间并没有根本的分歧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Radical ideologies require to contrast to their own goodness the wickedness of some other system. 凡是过激的意识形态，都需要有另外一个丑恶的制度作对比，才能衬托出自己的善良。 来自辞典例句

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

6 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

7 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

8 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

9 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

10 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

13 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

14 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。