VOA标准英语2008年-White House Renews Appeal for End to Georgia-Ru

The White House is making a renewed appeal for an end to the bloody¹ conflict between Georgia and Russia over the Georgian breakaway province of South Ossetia, and accusing Russia of 'disproportionate' action. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from Beijing, where U.S. President George Bush is pushing for a cease-fire.
　
President Bush makes a statement on the Russia-Georgia conflict during his visit to the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing, China, 09 Aug 2008

President Bush is engaging in some personal diplomacy² in an effort to halt the bloodshed and bring all parties to the negotiating table.

The latest move: a call to French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who holds the six-month rotating presidency³ of the European Union.

A White House spokesman says the U.S. and French presidents share the same position on the escalating⁴ conflict between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia. He says both want to see a cease-fire, disengagement and respect for Georgia's territorial⁵ integrity.

Their conversation follows calls Saturday by Mr. Bush to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Mr. Bush also discussed the matter in person Friday with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, when both attended a reception in Beijing.

White House officials will not provide details of the Bush-Putin conversation. But they leave no doubt they are extremely concerned about Russia's actions, and are waiting to see what Moscow will do next.

A senior member of President Bush's National Security Council says the administration does not want to jump to conclusions. But Jim Jeffrey leaves no doubt the White House is concerned that Russia wants to expand the conflict even further.

Georgia sent troops into South Ossetia on Friday to try to bring the breakaway province back under its control. Russia supports the separatists and has peacekeepers in the region. And when Georgia made its move, it sent in more troops and eventually launched bombing runs outside the borders of South Ossetia. On Sunday, Georgia said it had withdrawn⁶ its troops from South Ossetia's capital as a goodwill⁷ gesture.

Jeffry told reporters traveling with President Bush in Beijing that the Russian response has been disproportionate. He said if it continues, there is the potential for a significant long-term impact on U.S.-Russia relations.
　
Dana Perino

White House press secretary Dana Perino makes clear the Bush administration is doing all it can to prevent that scenario⁸. She says the White House is trying to get all the parties back to the negotiating table and end the bloodshed.

"I think what we need to do right now is continue to work to solve this peacefully, and if it is true the Georgians have started pulling out, that might get us to where we need to be to start the cease-fire," said Perino.

Perino says the main U.S. objective is to prevent further loss of life. She says too many people have already died because of the dispute - both troops and civilians⁹.

1 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

5 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

6 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

7 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

8 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。