2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Calls for More Intelligence Reforms

By Paula Wolfson
White House
20 February 2007

President Bush says the American intelligence community must implement¹ more reforms in order to meet the challenges of the war on terrorism. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports he spoke² at the ceremonial swearing-in of the nation's new intelligence director.

President Bush, (r), shakes hands with Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell during swearing-in ceremony at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC, 20 Feb 2007

Mike McConnell becomes America's national intelligence director at a crucial time.

The retired³ vice⁴ admiral and former head of the National Security Agency is charged with coordinating⁵ the work of more than a dozen government intelligence entities⁶, and serving as the president's top intelligence advisor⁷.

One immediate⁸ issue facing McConnell is tracking the evolution of al-Qaida, the group responsible for the September 11th 2001 attacks on the United States.

There are media reports al-Qaida - the initial target in the war on terror - is rebuilding and establishing a new base of operations in Pakistan along the Afghan border.

President Bush, speaking at McConnell's ceremoning swearing-in, focused on the need to remain vigilant⁹.

"Mike's long experience gives him a unique understanding of the threats we face in this new century," he said. "He knows that the terrorists who struck America on September the 11th, 2001 are determined¹⁰ to strike our nation again."

The president said he wants McConnell to improve information-sharing within the intelligence community, and to focus on finding more agents who speak critical languages, such as Arabic and Persian.

McConnell said recruiting such operatives is crucial, and vowed¹¹ to do away with outdated¹² hiring practices

"The old policies have hampered¹³ some common-sense reforms, such as hiring first-and-second-generation Americans who possess native language skills, cultural insights and a keen understanding of the threats we face," he said.

Neither the president nor McConnell directly addressed the question of al-Qaida's presence along the Pakistan-Afghan border. At a briefing for reporters, White House Spokesman Tony Snow also refused to talk about specifics. But he emphatically rejected the notion that the Bush administration is not concentrating enough on tracking and breaking up the terrorist network.

"They have been badly disorganized," he said. "But it is also clear they are determined people who are going to try to re-organize and we are every bit as determined to chase them down and make a difference."

Snow said al-Qaida is an organization that is amorphous¹⁴ and tends to move around. He said it remains¹⁵ a significant terror threat, and the administration is continuing to do what is necessary to meet the threat.

1 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

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 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

6 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 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。

9 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

12 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

13 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

14 amorphous   

adj.无定形的

参考例句：

• There was a weakening of the intermolecular bonds,primarily in the amorphous region of the polymer.分子间键合减弱，尤其在聚合物的无定形区内更为明显。
• It is an amorphous colorless or white powder.它是一种无定形的无色或白色粉末。

15 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。