2006年VOA标准英语-Rumsfeld Speech on Terrorism Generates Controve
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：2006年VOA标准英语（八月）
By Al Pessin
Pentagon
30 August 2006
The Defense 1 Department has called on the Associated Press to correct a report that it says mischaracterized a speech by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday. But the AP is standing 2 by the story and many other news organizations ran similar accounts of the speech.
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Donald Rumsfeld speaking at the American Legion convention
Secretary Rumsfeld's speech to a veterans group drew parallels between the current conflict with terrorists and the period between World Wars I and II.
"It was a time when a certain amount of cynicism and moral confusion set in among western democracies, when those who warned about a coming crisis, the rise of fascism and Nazism 3, they were ridiculed 4 or ignored," said Donald Rumsfeld.
The secretary said today America faces a new type of fascism that, just as in the 1930s, can not be accommodated or appeased 6.
"This enemy is serious, lethal 7 and relentless," he said. "But this is still not well recognized or fully 8 understood. It seems that in some quarters, there is more of a focus on dividing our country than acting 9 with unity 10 against the gathering 11 threats."
Rumsfeld asked a series of rhetorical questions, including this one.
"With the growing lethality 12 and increasing availability of weapons, can we truly afford to believe that somehow, some way, vicious extremists can be appeased," asked Secretary Rumsfeld.
Secretary Rumsfeld specifically criticized the human rights group Amnesty International, as well as media coverage 13 of the war in Iraq, saying it is focused too much on bad news. He said that could damage public support for what he sees as the broader struggle against violent extremism.
"That is important in any long struggle or long war, where any kind of moral or intellectual confusion about who and what is right or wrong can weaken the ability of free societies to persevere," he said.
In his report on the speech, Associated Press reporter Robert Burns, the senior newswire service reporter covering the Pentagon, said Secretary Rumsfeld had "accused critics of the Bush administration's Iraq and counter-terrorism policies of trying to appease 5" terrorists. A later version of the story noted 14 that Rumsfeld had not specifically mentioned critics of the administration, but quoted the secretary as saying "many" have not learned history's lessons.
The Pentagon issued a statement saying the story "seriously mischaracterized" the secretary's remarks, and calling on the Associated Press to correct the story. On Wednesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Eric Ruff explained just what he thinks was wrong with the report.
"The mischaracterization comes from the reporting that said the secretary was accusing critics of the Bush administration of supporting appeasement 15 or being appeasers," said Eric Ruff. "I'm paraphrasing 16. And that is not what was said by the secretary."
In response to an email inquiry 17, spokeswoman Linda Wagner said only that the Associated Press is standing by its story. She provided no other response to the Pentagon criticism and declined a request for an interview.
Other major news organizations also interpreted Secretary Rumsfeld's words as referring to administration critics, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today and CNN.
Democratic Party politicians responded angrily to the secretary's remarks, with some again calling for his resignation.
Secretary Rumsfeld has frequently spoken about what he sees as the high stakes of the war on terrorism, and the central role that the fighting in Iraq has in that broader conflict. President Bush is planning a series of speeches with a similar theme, starting Thursday.
- 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。
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
- His philosophical eyes were obviously shortsighted by the evil influence of Nazism. 显然，他那双哲学家般的深邃的眼睛也被纳粹的妖氛所眩惑。 来自中国文学部分
- Nazism suppressed all three movements as degenerate. 纳粹把所有三个运动都作为颓废艺术而加以镇压。
- Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
- The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。
- His hunger could only be appeased by his wife. 他的欲望只有他的妻子能满足。
- They are the more readily appeased. 他们比较容易和解。
- A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
- She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。
- 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。
- 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。
- When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
- We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。
- He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
- He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
- Modern weapons have greater range, accuracy, speed, and lethality than anything ever dreamed of before. 现代的武器比从前所梦想的任何武器射得更远，射得更准，速度更快，而且更具有杀伤力。 来自辞典例句
- The Mk 46 provides long-range lethality while engaging small, high-speed, surface targets. 该系统在舰船遭遇小型高速水面目标时将提供远距离的致命杀伤力。 来自互联网
- There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
- This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- Music is an appeasement to shattered nerves. 音乐可抚慰受重创的神经。
- There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. 对残暴行为是不能姑息的。 来自演讲部分
- I'm paraphrasing but this is honestly what he said. 我是在转述，但这的确是他说的意思。 来自柯林斯例句