VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Addresses Horrific Outburst Of Viole

By Kent Klein
White House
05 November 2009

 
President Obama preparing to speak about the shooting at Fort Hood¹, 05 Nov 2009 
U.S. President Barack Obama is calling a mass shooting at an Army base in Texas a horrific outburst of violence. The president says his thoughts are with the wounded and the families of the fallen.

President Obama says he is horrified² by the shootings at Fort Hood.

"A number of American soldiers have been killed and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence," said President Obama.

A short time after the rampage took place, Mr. Obama said he did not know all the details of the incident, but was thinking of all those affected³.

"My immediate⁴ thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen, and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood," said Mr. Obama.

The president said the fact that the violence occurred in U.S. territory makes it even more tragic⁵.

"It is difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas," said the president. "It is horrifying⁶ that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

Mr. Obama said he had spoken with Defense⁷ Secretary Robert Gates and with the Chairman of the military Joint⁸ Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Michael Mullen. He said he would continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in, and would work with authorities to investigate fully⁹.

"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," said President Obama.

Officials say a soldier opened fire at the base Thursday afternoon.

An Army spokesman says all the casualties took place at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed¹⁰ or who are returning undergo medical screening.

1 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

2 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

6 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

7 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。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 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。