VOA标准英语2008年-Democrats Criticize Bush Iraq Policy

Democratic U.S. Senator Jack² Reed, who recently accompanied likely presidential nominee³ Barack Obama to Iraq and Afghanistan, is calling the Republican strategy in Iraq a "blank check" that America cannot afford. President George Bush, meanwhile, says he is eager to sign a bill to triple U.S. spending to fight AIDS and other diseases in Africa and worldwide. VOA's Kent Klein reports from Washington.

In the Democrats⁴' weekly radio address, Senator Reed said the Republicans' plan for Iraq is open-ended and too expensive.

"At a time when the war in Iraq costs $10 billion each month, Americans are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, and our economy is struggling, we cannot continue down the path that President Bush and Senator McCain propose: writing blank check after blank check."

Reed, a Democrat¹ from the Northeastern state of Rhode Island, said his party's alternative would carefully move U.S. combat troops out of Iraq and have them work in counter-terrorism and train Iraq's military.

"Make no mistake: This is a plan that seizes on the progress and sacrifices our troops have made in Iraq, and it recognizes the desire of the Iraqi people to take control of their own destiny," he said.

Reed and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska went with Obama on a six-day trip to Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait that ended this past week.

Obama says he will try to withdraw combat troops from Iraq over 16 months if he is elected. Iraqi leaders gave the plan conditional⁵ support when they met with Obama in Baghdad.

President Bush, in his weekly radio address, said he would be "honored" to sign a bill to provide $48 billion to fight AIDS, malaria⁶ and tuberculosis⁷ around the world. It would expand the current plan, called PEPFAR, which Mr. Bush said has been very successful.

"When we first launched this program five and a half years ago, the scourge⁸ of HIV/AIDS had cast a shadow over the continent of Africa. Only 50,000 people with AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment," he said. "Today, PEPFAR is supporting treatment for nearly 1.7 million people in the region. PEPFAR has allowed nearly 200,000 African babies to be born HIV-free."

After months of compromise, Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress have voted to approve the expanded program, which Mr. Bush says will do even more good in Africa.

"The new legislation that I will sign next week will build on this progress," he said. "We will expand access to lifesaving anti-retroviral drugs. We will help prevent millions of new HIV infections from occurring. And we will also bolster⁹ our efforts to help developing nations combat other devastating¹⁰ diseases like malaria and tuberculosis."

In his radio address, the President also praised the use of U.S. foreign assistance to promote democracy, free trade and human rights, and to fight hunger.

 

 

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 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。

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 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》

5 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

6 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

7 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

8 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

9 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

10 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。