VOA标准英语2013--Washington Week: Focus on Burma, US Government Scandals

 

Washington Week: Focus on Burma, US Government Scandals

Six months after President Barack Obama visited Rangoon, President Thein Sein reciprocates¹ Monday with a visit to the White House.  Last November, Obama hailed democratic reforms in Burma.

“A dictatorship of five decades has loosened its grip.  Under President Thein Sein, the desire for change has been met by an agenda for reform.  A civilian² now leads the government, and a parliament is asserting itself," he said.

After decades of estrangement³, the United States sees engagement with Burma as a means to encourage further political and economic liberalization.

Should Obama press his Burmese counterpart on the importance of honest and transparent⁴ governance, he would be doing so at a time when the U.S. government is under investigation⁵ for misdeeds of its own.

Congressional probes of multiple scandals engulfing⁶ the Obama administration are continuing.  Last week, Steven Miller⁷, the acting⁸ chief of the U.S. tax collecting agency resigned after the Internal Revenue Service admitted to singling out conservative political groups for heightened scrutiny⁹.

“I want to apologize on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service for the mistakes we made and the poor customer service we provided.  The affected¹⁰ organizations and the American public deserve better," he said.

Lawmakers like Republican Kevin Brady want to know exactly what took place at the IRS, and whether those activities were known or even sanctioned by the Obama administration.

"Is this still America?  Is this government so drunk in power that it would turn its full force, its full might to harass¹¹ and intimidate¹² and threaten an average American who only wants her voice and their voices heard," he said.

White House officials note that the IRS is a politically-independent agency. President Obama says he, too is outraged¹³ by the scandal. “It is inexcusable, and Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it.  I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency," he said.

Later in the week, the president is expected to speak on America’s counter-terrorism efforts, including his administration’s long-standing promise to close the U.S. detention¹⁴ facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

1 reciprocates   

n.报答，酬答( reciprocate的名词复数 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动v.报答，酬答( reciprocate的第三人称单数 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动

参考例句：

• The engine reciprocates the propeller. 引擎往复推动螺旋桨。 来自互联网
• Terry intuitively reciprocates and becomes frustrated and conflicted by his decidedly unprofessional feelings for her. 特里也直觉地感到了这一点，而且为自己这种显然非职业的情感感到沮丧和矛盾。 来自互联网

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 estrangement   

n.疏远，失和，不和

参考例句：

• a period of estrangement from his wife 他与妻子分居期间
• The quarrel led to a complete estrangement between her and her family. 这一争吵使她同家人完全疏远了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 engulfing   

adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house darkness. 一位摄影师把电灯的保险丝烧断了，使整栋房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A professional photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house in darkness. 一位职业摄影师把保险丝烧断了使整所房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自辞典例句

7 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

10 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。

11 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

12 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

13 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

14 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。