VOA常速英语2007年-US To Review Aid to Pakistan

By Michael Bowman
Washington
04 November 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States will review all forms of aid to Pakistan in the wake of General Pervez Musharraf's decision to suspend the country's constitution. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

Secretary Rice says she is personally disappointed with the suspension of constitutional rule in Pakistan, but added that the crisis can be defused if General Musharraf reverses his decision and recommits to holding democratic elections.

The United States has provided more than $10 billion in assistance to Pakistan since 2001, much of it destined¹ to bolster² anti-terrorism efforts. Speaking in Jerusalem, Secretary Rice seemed to preclude³ an immediate⁴ severance⁵ of that aid.

"We have to be very cognizant of the fact that some of the assistance that has been going to Pakistan is directly related to the [U.S.] counter-terrorism missions," said Condoleezza Rice. "So this is a complicated matter. We have to remember that we are going to continue to fight the war on terror."

The Bush administration's initial response to the Pakistani constitutional crisis was immediately criticized by leading U.S. legislators, including some within the president's own Republican Party. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania spoke⁶ on CNN's "Late Edition" program.

"It is not enough that Secretary Rice speaks out," said Arlen Specter. "I think the President has to speak out in more specific terms. We have bolstered⁷ Musharraf with billions of dollars in military support in recent years, and we ought to be specific [in saying] that it is not going to continue."

A Democratic Party colleague, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, urged a carefully thought out and measured response to the situation in Pakistan . She specifically warned against unilateral military action by the United States in Pakistan's northern regions where terrorists are believed to operate.

General Musharraf's decision to suspend the constitution has been condemned⁸ by his political opponents, including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who spoke in an interview broadcast on the CBS program Face the Nation.

"It is going to lead to an unnecessary confrontation⁹ between the regime and the people, which can only help the extremists who will exploit the situation to their advantage," said Benazir Bhutto. "It is very important that General Musharraf be pressed to restore the constitution, to release the political prisoners, to respect the judiciary, and hold elections under an independent election commission."

In justifying¹⁰ his decision, General Musharraf has said that failure to act would have amounted to "suicide" for Pakistan, and that his first duty is to act in his country's best interests.

1 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

2 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

3 preclude   

vt.阻止，排除，防止；妨碍

参考例句：

• We try to preclude any possibility of misunderstanding.我们努力排除任何误解的可能性。
• My present finances preclude the possibility of buying a car.按我目前的财务状况我是不可能买车的。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 severance   

n.离职金；切断

参考例句：

• Those laid off received their regular checks,plus vacation and severance pay.那些被裁的人都收到他们应得的薪金，再加上假期和解职的酬金。Kirchofer was terminated,effective immediately--without severance or warning.科奇弗被解雇了，立刻生效--而且没有辞退费或者警告。

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 bolstered   

v.支持( bolster的过去式和过去分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• He bolstered his plea with new evidence. 他举出新的证据来支持他的抗辩。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The data must be bolstered by inferences and indirect estimates of varying degrees of reliability. 这些资料必须借助于推理及可靠程度不同的间接估计。 来自辞典例句

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

10 justifying   

证明…有理( justify的现在分词 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护）

参考例句：

• He admitted it without justifying it. 他不加辩解地承认这个想法。
• The fellow-travellers'service usually consisted of justifying all the tergiversations of Soviet intenal and foreign policy. 同路人的服务通常包括对苏联国内外政策中一切互相矛盾之处进行辩护。