2006年VOA标准英语-Blair Defends Policies to Skeptical Trade Union

By Gary Thomas London 12 September 2006   Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared at a conference of Britain's powerful trade unions Tuesday to defend his government's policies. Trade unions are the backbone1 of the Labor2 Party, but the prime minister's popularity has dwindled3 and he is under increasing pressure to leave office. Some union members were not shy about voicing their disapproval4. ----- Tony Blair addresses Trade Union Congress Conference in Brighton, southern England, Sept. 12, 2006           Prime Minister Tony Blair walked into the lion's den5 of the British Trades Union Congress Tuesday, and sustained at least a few scratches from members unhappy with both his foreign and domestic policies. Speaking in the seaside resort of Brighton, Mr. Blair spoke6 of touchy7 domestic issues, such as privatization and immigration. He also paid tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, 67 of whom were British. But it was his defense9 of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that drew a mixed reaction of both heckling and applause from delegates. "Afghans and Iraqis have voted for their governments," he said. "Those attacking them, al-Qaida and the Taleban, Iranian-backed militia10, are doing so to destroy those slender democratic roots. We are defending them. We should be proud of defending them. We should be proud of what we are doing to support democrats11 in Iraq and Afghanistan, proud of it." When protest placards appeared and some delegates called on him to resign, Mr. Blair appealed to be heard. "Yeah, you were warmed up already but I'm just getting there," he said. "Look, you can disagree but just listen to the argument, please just for once. It's a democratic debate. Ask a question afterwards, but just listen to the argument." The trade unions are powerful in Britain and have long been the backbone of Mr. Blair's Labor Party. But some in the union and the party have been sharply critical of Mr. Blair for moving Labor away from its socialist12 roots in domestic policy, and for his support of President Bush and the war in Iraq on the foreign policy front. Last week, eight parliamentary members of the Labor Party resigned their government posts, forcing Mr. Blair to announce he will step down within one year. Although he has not given any specific date, he noted13 that this is his last Trades Union Congress as prime minister. About a dozen delegates of the Rail, Maritime14, and Transport Workers Union voted to walk out on Mr. Blair at the beginning of the speech. One of the union's leaders, Peter Skelly, said members felt betrayed by Mr. Blair's rightward policy shift. "I mean, we're not in the business of walking out," he said. "This is a walkout that has been democratically agreed by our delegation15 unanimously. And we think this is the time to walk out to show Tony Blair our protest how he's betrayed us, how he and his government have betrayed us as a union and betrayed the trade union movement in general." On the sensitive subject of immigration, Mr. Blair said immigrants from the new countries of the European Union have helped the British economy. "I have to say, the evidence is that they have helped our economy and not been a burden," he said. "Ninety-seven percent work full time. Only three percent of them bring their children with them. And preliminary figures suggest that up to 50 percent of them are returning home." Two new countries, Bulgaria and Romania, are scheduled to join the European Union next year, sparking fears among critics of immigration about a new wave of immigrants. Mr. Blair said new security measures, such as identity cards for immigrants and the fingerprinting16 of visa applicants17, will be implemented18 within the next three years. He said without such measures, controlled migration8 is not possible.

1 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

5 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

6 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。

7 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

8 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

9 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。

10 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

11 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》

12 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

13 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。

14 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

15 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

16 fingerprinting   

v.指纹( fingerprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Institutions from banks to pawnshops are fingerprinting to authenticate transactions. 从银行到当铺，都在使用指纹识别对交易进行验证。 来自互联网
• In addition, a digital fingerprinting algorithm based on binary codes is described. 介绍了一种二进制指纹编码方案。 来自互联网

17 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

18 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句