Karzai Meets with Blair
Afghanistan’s interim(1) leader Hammond Karzai is becoming something of political superstar. His address to the British cabinet(2) made him only the second world statesman along with a certain Bill Clinton to be given that privilege(3). He thanked them for helping rescue(4) his country from occupation(5) by terrorists(6) and the Taliban, and he proved to be a shrewd politician. First came an assurance(7) to British voters【投票人;此處指老百姓】.
“I will make every possible effort to see to it that we have a transparent(8), clean, efficient bureaucracy(9). And that the money that your taxpayers have earned and given to our people is spent respectfully.”
That helped to win him applause(10). But Mr. Karzai has his wants list too. Above all he wants a much bigger international security force to hold back the warlords【軍閥】 and bandits【土匪】 still roaming(11)outside Kabul. So there was pressure too on Britain’s prime minister who’s promised not to walk away.
“We all asked for it, it’s a demand by the Afghan people as a measure of commitment(12) by the international community as a symbol(13) of their commitment to Afghanistan to stay on.”
Mr.Blair was happy to pay tribute(14) to Mr. Karzai’s efforts and to offer help with reconstruction(15). But he wasn’t ready to pledge(16)any increase in troops.
“Our role in that has been limited in the way that I’ve described, but of course we will be working and discussing with other countries as to how we made sure that the security force continues as it was always intended to do, and does the work that people in Afghanistan want it to do.”
It was always going to be a harmonious(17)meeting. Mr. Karzai appreciates Tony Blair’s determination that the international community shouldn’t walk away from Afghanistan. Mr. Blair admires the way Mr. Karzai has set about his task as an interim leader. But both are going to be tested by Mr. Karzais call for a hugely expanded international security force to cover the whole of his country. Robin Oakley CNN Downing Street, London.
聽音瓶頸詞匯
1. interim[] adj.過渡時期的
2. cabinet[] n.內(nèi)閣
3. privilege[] n.特權(quán)
4. rescue[] v.拯救
5. occupation[] n.占領(lǐng)
6. terrorist [] n.恐怖分子
7. assurance [] n.自信;保證
8. transparent [] adj.透明的
9. bureaucracy[] n.政府機構(gòu)
10. applause[] n.鼓掌
11. roam [] v.徘徊
12. commitment [] n.義務(wù)
13. symbol[] n.象征
14. tribute[] n.表示尊敬;贊辭
15. reconstruction[] n.重建;再建
16. pledge[] v.許諾;保證
17. harmonious[] adj.和諧的
聽音高級短語
along with 與…在一起;在…以外
above all 首先;最重要的
hold back 阻礙
stay on 繼續(xù)停留
set about 著手;開始(做)
聽音超級句型
He thanked them for helping…
他感謝他們……的幫助。
I will make every possible effort to see to it that we have a transparent, clean, efficient bureaucracy.
我將盡一切努力使我們有一個透明、廉潔和高效的政府機構(gòu)。
卡爾扎伊?xí)畈既R爾
阿富汗臨時政府主席卡爾扎伊成為了政治明星。他在英國內(nèi)閣會議上的發(fā)言,使他成為繼美國前總統(tǒng)克林頓之后第二個受此特殊待遇的官員。他感謝他們幫助阿富汗從恐怖主義和塔利班的占領(lǐng)下解救出來。他被證明是一位精明的政治家。首先他就給英國人民作保證:
“我將盡一切努力使我們有一個透明、廉潔和高效的政府機構(gòu),并且會非常恭敬地把你們每一位納稅人掙來的錢用到實處。”
那番話使他贏得了人們的掌聲。當(dāng)然,卡爾扎伊也有更多的期望。首要的是,他要求有一支更強大的國際安全力量以便肅清仍然盤踞在喀布爾外的軍閥和土匪。這給許諾一直援助阿富汗的英國首相帶來了壓力。
“我們需要幫助,這是阿富汗人民的需求,是國際社會以及阿富汗對你們承諾給予阿富汗人民支助的衡量尺度與體現(xiàn)。”
布萊爾對卡爾扎伊的努力表示贊揚,并樂意幫助阿富汗戰(zhàn)后重建。但他沒有許諾增派軍隊。
“正如我描述過的那樣,在擔(dān)任援助阿富汗人民的角色上,英國的作用是有限的。當(dāng)然,我們會同其它國家合作并討論繼續(xù)增派安全部隊的問題,正如我們一直以來努力的那樣,做阿富汗人民想要我們做的工作。”
這是一個和諧的會議??栐临澷p布萊爾堅持國際社會不應(yīng)撤離阿富汗的決心。而布萊爾也欽佩卡爾扎伊作為一位過渡政府領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人所做的一切工作。但他們的合作將受到卡爾扎伊呼吁大量增派國際安全部隊以便覆蓋阿富汗全境的考驗。CNN記者羅賓•歐克萊倫敦唐寧街報道。