VOA常速英语2007年-Bush Calls Musharraf, Urges Elections in Pakist

By Paula Wolfson
White House
07 November 2007
 

President Bush has personally contacted Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf for the first time since the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan.  VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from the White House, Mr. Bush says his message was clear and the discussion was frank.

President Bush says he told Mr. Musharraf to give up his military rank and get Pakistan back on the path to democracy.

"My message was that we believe strongly in elections and that you ought to have elections soon, and you need to take off your uniform - you can't be the president and the head of the military at the same time," he said.

Mr. Bush placed the call shortly before meeting with French leader Nicolas Sarkozy at Mt. Vernon, the historic Virginia home of America's first president, George Washington.   At a joint¹ news conference President Sarkozy said he too is concerned about events in Pakistan.

He spoke² through a translator.

"Let me remind you that this is a country of 150 million inhabitants which happens to have nuclear weapons," he noted³.  "This is very important to us that one day we should not wake up with a government, an administration in Pakistan which is in the hands of the extremists."

A senior U.S. military officer said Wednesday the Pentagon is concerned about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.  Lieutenant⁴ General Carter Ham, who handles operations for the senior military staff, said the U.S. military is monitoring the situation "quite closely" but declined to comment further.

Overall, Bush administration officials have watched their words carefully throughout the crisis in Pakistan.  They stress Pakistan's importance in the war on terrorism, calling President Musharraf's decision to declare a state of emergency a mistake that can be rectified⁵.

During his appearance at Mt. Vernon, President Bush was asked why he has not called for Pervez Musharraf to resign, much as he has the military rulers of Burma, whom he has denounced for their crackdown on dissent⁶.   Mr. Bush said the objective in both Burma and Pakistan is the same - to promote democracy.  But he went on to stress the two countries are very different.

"Pakistan has been on the path to democracy," he explained.  "Burma hasn't been on the path to democracy.  And it requires different tactics to achieve the common objective."

The Pakistani government imposed emergency rule on Saturday, suspending the constitution, ousting⁷ the top judge and arresting opponents.  President Musharraf has said the steps were necessary to prevent a takeover by Islamic extremists.   But critics charge all he wants to do is solidify⁸ power and stifle⁹ dissent at a time of dwindling¹⁰ public support.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 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。

3 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。

4 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

5 rectified   

[医]矫正的，调整的

参考例句：

• I am hopeful this misunderstanding will be rectified very quickly. 我相信这个误会将很快得到纠正。
• That mistake could have been rectified within 28 days. 那个错误原本可以在28天内得以纠正。

6 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

7 ousting   

驱逐( oust的现在分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• The resulting financial chaos led to the ousting of Bristol-Myers' s boss. 随后引发的财政混乱导致了百时美施贵宝的总裁下台。
• The ousting of the president has drawn widespread criticism across Latin America and the wider world. 洪都拉斯总统被驱逐时间引起拉丁美洲甚至全世界的广泛批评。

8 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

9 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

10 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句