2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Meets With Rice and Gates on Iraq

By Scott Stearns
White House
23 December 2006

 
George W. Bush
U.S. President George Bush has met with top advisers² to plan what he says will be a new way forward in the war in Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Defense³ Secretary Robert Gates who is just back from three days in Baghdad.

National Security Adviser¹ Stephen Hadley joined those talks at the presidential retreat at Camp David along with Hadley's deputy, J.D. Crouch⁴, who is coordinating⁵ the White House review of Iraq.

Mr. Bush says he is working on a new way forward in that conflict which he will explain to the American people early next year.

In his weekly radio address, the president said it is a time of change in Washington with his review of Iraq strategy, a new secretary of defense, and opposition⁶ Democrats⁷ set to take charge of Congress next month.

"If you're serving on the front lines halfway⁸ across the world, it is natural to wonder what all this means for you," he said. "I want our troops to know that while the coming year will bring change, one thing will not change, and that is our Nation's support for you and the vital work you do to achieve a victory in Iraq. The American people are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers, and we will make sure you have the resources you need to accomplish your mission."

Mr. Bush says accomplishing that mission means an Iraqi government that can sustain itself, defend itself, and join in the broader fight against terrorism.

U.S. public opinion polls show the war in Iraq is increasingly unpopular, with the latest CNN survey showing 70 percent of voters disapprove⁹ of the way Mr. Bush is handling the conflict.

White House officials say one of the goals of the new strategy is to inspire greater confidence in the American people. In his radio address, Mr. Bush called for patriotism¹⁰ during the holidays.

 
President Bush, accompanied by first lady Laura Bush, addresses the media about his visit with wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 22 Dec. 06
"I urge every American to find some way to thank our military this Christmas season," he said. "If you see a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine¹¹, or a member of the Coast Guard, take a moment to stop and say, 'Thanks for your service.'"

Opposition to the war in Iraq was a big part of last month's electoral victories for opposition Democrats who won control of both houses of Congress.

In the Democratic radio address, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh spoke¹² of the nearly 3,000 Americans who have been killed in Iraq since the war began.

"Their deaths are felt even more during the holidays. In honor of their sacrifices, we should rededicate ourselves this holiday season to work to make 'peace on earth' have true meaning by bringing stability to places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur," he said.

Senator Bayh says it is time to set political partisanship¹³ aside. He says Democrats welcome the president's pledge to reach out to opposition leaders and intend to hold him to it.

The president and Mrs. Bush leave Camp David after Monday's Christmas holiday for their Texas ranch¹⁴. There, Mr. Bush will continue consultations¹⁵ over Iraq with a meeting of his National Security Council set for December 28.

 

1 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

2 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

3 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。

4 crouch   

v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏

参考例句：

• I crouched on the ground.我蹲在地上。
• He crouched down beside him.他在他的旁边蹲下来。

5 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

6 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。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

9 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

10 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

11 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。

12 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。

13 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

14 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

15 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》