2007年VOA标准英语-Understanding, Skepticism Greet Bush Iraq Speec

By Sonja Pace
London
11 January 2007

President Bush's announcement that he is sending some 20,000 additional troops to Iraq has received mixed reviews around the world - ranging from support and understanding to widespread skepticism. VOA's Sonja Pace summarizes world reaction in this report from London.

 
President Bush
 President Bush's new strategy for Iraq was the focus of intense media attention for days before his actual speech in Washington Wednesday evening. 

His plan to send an additional 20,000 plus troops to Iraq to try to quell¹ the insurgency² and sectarian violence thus came as no surprise.  And, it has gotten mixed reviews.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett welcomed the announcement, but also said Britain would make its own judgments⁴ and decisions.

"It is not our intention at the present time to send more troops," said Beckett. Speaking to reporters, Beckett said Britain is working to progressively turn over control to Iraqi forces in the area British forces operate in, namely in Basra in southern Iraq.

British newspapers were much more critical.  The Independent says George Bush is sending his soldiers into the "graveyard⁵ of Iraq," while the Guardian⁶ newspaper calls the President's new strategy his "last throw of the dice⁷."

 
Iraqis in Basra watch President Bush's speech
Reactions inside Iraq have been mixed as well.  Some senior officials welcomed the decision, but speaking to reporters in Baghdad, government spokesman Aly Dabagh, focused mainly on what Iraqis will and must do.

He said preparations continue for a full transfer of security control and responsibility, when the situation allows.  He said the foreign troops would remain under the control of Iraqi forces, adding that when the Iraqis are ready they will ask the multinational⁹ forces to leave.

As expected, there was opposition¹⁰ from supporters of radical¹¹ Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr, whose Mahdi army militia¹² has been blamed for much of the sectarian violence.

Mixed reactions too from average Iraqis. Some said they hoped the situation would improve, but VOA reporter Jim Randle spoke⁸ with several people in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and many, like a man who gave his name only as Yussuf, were doubtful the situation would get better. "We are not optimistic about the coming of (more) American soldiers to Iraq, because nothing will change the problems in Iraq - nothing," said Yussuf.

That skepticism prevails elsewhere in the Middle East, as VOA's Challiss McDonough reported from Cairo. "Talking to analysts¹³ around the Middle East, the most common thread that I'm hearing is that people don't believe there can be a military solution to the crisis in Iraq," McDonough said. "They say the only solution will be a political one and that that needs to be approached regionally."

In Asia, there was strong support from President Bush's staunch ally, Australian Prime Minister John Howard. "We've got to make a judgment³ as to what would the consequences of leaving in circumstances, which are seen as a defeat for the West," Howard said.

However, the reaction from China was circumspect¹⁴.  Foreign Ministry¹⁵ spokesman, Liu Jianchao spoke to reporters in Beijing.  The spokesman said the development of the situation in Iraq affects the whole region.  China hopes Iraq can "realize peace and stability at an early date." But the Chinese spokesman said reaching that goal depends first and foremost on Iraqis themselves.

1 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

2 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

3 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

4 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

5 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

6 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

7 dice   

n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险

参考例句：

• They were playing dice.他们在玩掷骰子游戏。
• A dice is a cube.骰子是立方体。

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 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

10 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。

11 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

12 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。

13 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

14 circumspect   

adj.慎重的，谨慎的

参考例句：

• She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。
• He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。

15 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。