2007年VOA标准英语-US Senate Democrats Seek Change in Course of Ir

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
15 September 2007

U.S. Senate Democratic leaders are planning to hold votes next week on a series of measures aimed at changing the course of the Iraq war.   Congressional Democrats² are rejecting President Bush's plan for a gradual troop pullback from Iraq as too little too late.  VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

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President Bush queues up with troops for lunch at the Marines Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, 14 Sep 2007

Speaking at a military base not far from Washington, D.C. Friday, President Bush repeated his appeal to U.S. lawmakers made in his address to the nation a day earlier to embrace the recommendations of the top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

"I call upon the United States Congress to listen very carefully to what General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker reported, and support the troop levels that these two men think are necessary to achieve our objective," said Mr. Bush.

The president says military and political progress has been made in Iraq, allowing for the 30,000 additional troops deployed⁴ in the country earlier this year to come home by next July.  That would leave 130,000 troops in the country.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (file photo)

Republican congressional leaders are praising the decision.   Among the first to do so was Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who spoke⁵ on the Senate floor shortly after General Petreaus delivered his report to Congress earlier in the week:

"The early successes of the Petraeus plan gives America hope that we can bring about ample stability in Iraq, and it also gives us real hope that we can start to bring our troops back, not in retreat, but with full honor and full pride," he said.

But congressional Democrats say the plan is nothing new, arguing that the surge of forces had a time limit, because of the risk of overstretching the military.

Senate Majority Leader Harry⁶ Reid of Nevada also spoke shortly after Petraeus' testimony⁷.

Rep. Harry Reid  (16 Feb 2007)

"His plan is merely more of the same: to keep at least 130,000 troops, American troops, in the midst of an intractable civil war," said Senator Reid.  "This is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to the American people."

Democratic leaders say they will continue to press for a change of course in the war, which public opinion polls show continues to be unpopular among the American people.

But Senate Democrats, with their narrow majority in the chamber⁸, acknowledge there is not enough support in the Senate for passage of a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal⁹ from Iraq.

They need the support of 60 senators to overcome any Republican attempts to block anti-war legislation.

So Democratic leaders are focusing on more modest measures that would attract the support of Republican moderates, many of whom are facing tough reelection bids next year because of the unpopularity of the war.

One such measure, sponsored by Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and Senator Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat¹, would limit the mission of U.S. troops to training Iraqi forces, fighting terrorism and securing Iraq's borders.

Another measure, introduced by Senator Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat, would ensure troops returning from Iraq are allowed to stay at their home bases at least the same amount of time of their last deployment¹⁰ before returning to the battlefield.

Senator Jack¹¹ Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says the Webb proposal could further reduce troop levels in Iraq, although he could not say by how much.

"What limits it puts on deployments, I am not specifically aware of, but I do think it will have an impact," he noted¹².
 
Reed, who delivered his party's response to the president's address Thursday night, believes the Webb proposal will have overwhelming support.

But Reed acknowledges that as Democrats seek support from moderate Republicans for modest measures aimed at altering the course of the war, they are not alienating¹³ members of their own party's liberal base.   These Democratic activists¹⁴ are frustrated¹⁵ that their party's majority in Congress has not been able to affect war policy and are demanding more significant and immediate¹⁶ troop withdrawals¹⁷.

"It is a serious challenge, because I think, the extent you are able to attract support from the Republican side, there might be Democrats who say, that is going too far for their position," added Senator Reed.  "That is the reality we have to work with, we will."

Two of the candidates seeking the Democratic Party nomination¹⁸ for president, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, have called a more accelerated troop pullout.

The Senate debate on Iraq will take place as lawmakers consider a defense¹⁹ policy bill next week.

1 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。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 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。

6 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

7 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

8 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。

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

10 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

11 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

12 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。

13 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

14 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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。

17 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

18 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

19 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。