VOA标准英语2008年-Pentagon: Too Soon for Next Iraq Assessment

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
03 January 2008

The U.S. Defense¹ Department says it is too soon to begin the next assessment² of the troop surge and the new counterinsurgency strategy implemented⁴ in Iraq last year, and that the violence of the last two days does not indicate any significant setback⁵ in the effort.  VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman says officials are focused on the plan for an assessment in March, as promised, and there is no reason to begin working on that assessment now.

"There won't be a lot of judgments⁷ made well in advance," he said.  "You want to use the time that you have - it's only the beginning of January - until March to continue to implement³ the strategy and not make premature⁸ judgments in January as to where you're going to be at in March."

The March assessment was promised by the U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, during his last report to congress in September, and President Bush endorsed⁹ the plan.  The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, is also expected to make a report.

In Iraq on Wednesday, General Petraeus told reporters the insurgents¹⁰ are on the defensive¹¹ more than they have been in years.  The French News Agency AFP quoted the general as saying that as the U.S. troop surge gradually ends in the coming months, reducing the U.S. troop presence by about 30,000, many more newly trained Iraqi troops will take their place. 

The general spoke⁶ to a small group of reporters as he toured a former al-Qaida stronghold - the village of Owesat, southwest of Baghdad.  He said the pursuit of the insurgents will be "relentless," even as U.S. troops withdraw and Iraqi troops take over.

Last year was the deadliest ever for U.S. troops in Iraq, with 900 killed in combat and accidents, but violence dropped significantly during the last several months of the year as the new strategy took hold.  Part of that strategy has included the formation of neighborhood security groups that work with U.S. and Iraqi forces. 

U.S. commanders have said the progress in Iraq is still "fragile," but at the Pentagon Thursday, spokesman Bryan Whitman said a series of deadly attacks in recent days is not evidence of any significant setback.

"I think that despite the last 48 hours of some significant violence that there continue to be positive signs with respect to how well the surge has been able to give the time and space that's required for the Iraqi security forces, for some of this kind of grass roots reconciliation¹² that's been taking place, and for large segments of the population that are turning away [from] and against al-Qaida influences," he added.

Whitman was referring to a bombing in Baghdad on Tuesday that left about 30 Iraqis dead at the funeral of a retired¹³ army officer, and two attacks on Wednesday north of the capital.  A suicide bomber¹⁴ killed about 10 people at a checkpoint in Baquba manned by one of the local citizens groups, and attackers killed an Iraqi policeman in an ambush¹⁵ in Salah ad Din¹⁶ Province.

1 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。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 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。

4 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

5 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

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 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

8 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

9 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

11 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

12 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

13 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。

14 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

15 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

16 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。