voa标准英语2008年-US Gives Iraq Final Text of Draft Forces Agreem

The Bush administration says it has sent Iraq what it says is the final text of an agreement on a continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the end of the year. U.S. officials say they accepted some Iraqi-proposed amendments¹, but that as far as the United States is concerned the negotiating process has ended. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
　

U.S and Iraqi army soldiers secure the area at the scene were bombs exploded, in Baghdad, Iraq, 04 Nov 2008

Officials here say the final text was conveyed in a letter from President Bush to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and that while the U.S. side may provide further clarifications it considers the negotiations² over.

The two sides have struggled for weeks to reach agreement on a status-of-forces agreement that will govern the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq beyond December 31, when the U.N. Security Council mandate³ for foreign forces in Iraq expires.

The draft accord would allow U.S. forces to remain in Iraq for as long as another three years. The parties have struggled to agree on details such as legal jurisdiction⁴ over American soldiers who might commit off-duty crimes.

A senior U.S. diplomat⁵ said Iraq late last month proposed scores of amendments to a tentative draft. He said the text the United States has sent back to Baghdad accepts many of the proposed changes, but rejects a number of others.

At a news briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said the Bush administration now considers the process, on the U.S. side, concluded, and that it is now up to the Baghdad government to finalize⁷ the accord through appropriate political channels.

"The government of Iraq has debated this agreement thoroughly," he said. "They forwarded to us their suggested amendments. We got back to them. And now the negotiating process has come to an end. So they will now move it through their internal process as I said."

Asked if Iraq has been given the U.S. draft on a take it or leave it basis, Wood said he was not in the business of giving ultimatums⁸, but reiterated⁹ the process on the U.S. side has concluded.

The senior official who spoke⁶ here said the U.S. side believes it has addressed a number of Iraqi concerns about the earlier draft in good faith and in a way that respects the sovereignty of both sides.

He said he expects the new U.S. text to be acted on by Iraq's Council of Representatives, its main legislative¹⁰ body, with input¹¹ from whatever other players in the political process that Iraqi leaders deem necessary.

The looming¹² expiration¹³ of the U.N. troop mandate leaves little time for any further negotiations. The Security Council could extend the mandate, but both U.S. and Iraqi officials consider a bilateral¹⁴ accord far preferable.

1 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

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 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

8 ultimatums   

最后通牒( ultimatum的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Environmental groups in Nevada and the Midwest have issued similar ultimatums. 内华达和中西部的环保团体也发布了类似的最后通牒。
• A proactive teacher doesn't deliver ultimatums. [先发制人式]师并不下最后通牒。

9 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

10 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

11 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

12 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

13 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

14 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。