2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Seeks Ex-Officials' Advice on Iraq

By Michael Bowman
White House
12 May 2006

 
President Bush with former Secretaries of State and former Secretaries of Defense¹
  
President Bush says he has "great hopes" that Iraq's incoming unity² government will meet the aspirations³ of the Iraqi people, and he is optimistic that U.S. efforts in the country will be successful.  Mr. Bush met with current and former secretaries of state and defense to discuss the situation in Iraq and the broader Middle East.

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Flanked by the former cabinet officers, some of whom served as far back as the Kennedy administration, President Bush acknowledged that America's role in Iraq remains⁴ a point of contention⁵ and debate. But he suggested the critical question is not the merits of having invaded Iraq, but rather the future of U.S. engagement in the country.

"We have had our disagreements in this country about whether or not we should be there [in Iraq] in the first place," said Mr. Bush.  "Now, the fundamental question is: how do we achieve our objectives, which is a democracy that can defend itself, sustain itself, a country that is an ally in the war on terror, and a country that serves as a powerful example for others that desire to be free."

President Bush said challenges lie ahead for Iraq's government, including the need to crack down on militias⁶ that operate outside the law. He said the Iraqi people must feel secure if the country is to move forward, and that U.S. policies and actions must be consistent.

"I know that the only way we will not succeed is if we lose our nerve, if we do not have faith in our values, and if we are constantly changing our tactics on the ground to achieve our objectives," he added.

Aside from the president, none of the participants in the gathering⁷ spoke⁸ to the news media.  The meeting came amid news from Iraq that a Shi'ite political party had pulled out of talks on forming a unity government, as well as continued bloodshed that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent weeks.

Mr. Bush said, for those dealing⁹ with Iraq, it is useful to hear the views of former officials. Some participants, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served in the Clinton administration, have been highly critical of President Bush's decision to invade Iraq, as well as his administration's handling of subsequent events in the country.

This was the second meeting the president has held in recent months with former high-ranking officials to discuss foreign affairs.

1 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。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 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。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。