2007年VOA标准英语-US Senate Iraq Resolution Under Debate

By Michael Bowman
Washington
28 January 2007

U.S. Senators remain deeply divided over a proposed resolution expressing opposition¹ to President Bush's plan to send additional American troops to Iraq. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, the non-binding resolution was approved last week by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but has not been voted on by the full chamber².

Ever since President Bush announced a plan to send an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq, administration officials have been pleading with Congress to give the plan a chance.

Senator Richard Lugar

That view was echoed by the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar of Indiana, who said that America needs to show unity³ at a critical juncture⁴ in the war in Iraq.

"I do not believe that it is helpful right now to show there is disarray," said Lugar. "I do not fault the resolutions as being chaotic⁵, but I would say that they are an attempt to vent⁶ current emotions. They are not helpful to General Petraeus, to the troops, to the Iraqis."

Mr. Lugar was speaking on ABC's This Week program.

Friday, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm General David Petraeus as the next coalition⁷ commander in Iraq. The general says he believes the troop surge can succeed in quelling⁸ rampant⁹ violence in Baghdad and al-Anbar province, and argued against any resolution opposing the plan.

But General Petraeus' words have fallen on many deaf ears in the Senate, including some members of President Bush's Republican party. It is widely believed that, if put to a vote, a resolution stating opposition to the troop increase would pass the Senate.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democrat¹⁰ Joseph Biden of Delaware, disputed any notion that the resolution would boost the morale¹¹ of terrorists in Iraq or elsewhere.

"It is not the American people or the U.S. Congress that is emboldening¹² the enemy. It is the failed policy of this president [Bush]: going to war without a strategy, going to war prematurely¹³, going to war without enough troops, going to war without enough equipment, and, now, lastly, sending 17.500 people in the middle of a city of six 6.5 million people with bulls-eyes on their back [who would be targets for attack], with no plan," said Biden.

The proposed resolution, which has both Democratic and Republican sponsors, would not prohibit further U.S. troop deployments to Iraq, nor would it affect funding for the war effort. But it would constitute a clear rebuke¹⁴ of President Bush's handling of Iraq, including his plan to augment¹⁵ U.S. troop strength in the country.

Many who oppose the measure nonetheless are expressing impatience¹⁶ with Iraq's government. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky spoke¹⁷ on CBS' Face the Nation program.

"This is the last chance for the Iraqis to step up and do their part. This effort to quiet Baghdad is absolutely essential," added McConnell. "If you do not have a relatively¹⁸ calm capital city, there is no chance that the government can function properly. I think a resolution in the Senate that sets up some benchmarks, some milestones¹⁹ the Iraqi government has to meet is the best way to go."

President Bush has said that, regardless of what transpires²⁰ in Congress, he will go forward with the troop increase.

1 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。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 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。

4 juncture   

n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头

参考例句：

• The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
• It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

5 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

6 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 quelling   

v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Quelling her grief, she said 'Good-bye! 'again and went on. 她把悲痛压下去，二番说了一声再见，又转身走去了。 来自辞典例句
• The police succeeded in quelling the riot. 警方把暴乱镇压了下去。 来自辞典例句

9 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

12 emboldening   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的现在分词 )

参考例句：

13 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

14 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

15 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

16 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

17 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。

18 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

19 milestones   

n.重要事件( milestone的名词复数 )；重要阶段；转折点；里程碑

参考例句：

• Several important milestones in foreign policy have been passed by this Congress and they can be chalked up as major accomplishments. 这次代表大会通过了对外政策中几起划时代的事件，并且它们可作为主要成就记录下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dale: I really envy your milestones over the last few years, Don. 我真的很羡慕你在过去几年中所建立的丰功伟绩。 来自互联网

20 transpires   

（事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的第三人称单数 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生

参考例句：

• Let's wait and see what transpires. 我们等着瞧会发生什么事吧。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor. 这部机器有时排出大量的热气。