VOA标准英语10月-Bush 'Hopeful' for Agreement on US Forces in Iraq
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年（十月）
President Bush (r) and president of Iraq's northern Kurdish government, Massoud Barzani at the White House, 29 Oct 2008
Time is running out for completing the Status of Forces Agreement between Washington and Baghdad.
A draft accord is in hand after months of negotiations 3, but the Iraqis have now proposed changes to the plan.
President Bush told Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani that the request will receive serious consideration.
"We are analyzing 4 those amendments 5," he said. "We obviously want to be helpful and constructive 6 without undermining basic principles. And I remain very hopeful and confident that the SOFA [Status of Forces Agreement] will be passed."
But U.S. officials have warned that the bar for changes is set very high. They have indicated there is little desire in Washington to reopen negotiations on the substance of the deal.
At the same time, they say the agreement is vital, and that the door is not closed to possible changes in wording.
At the Pentagon, spokesman Geoff Morrell stressed the proposed changes will be studied carefully, deliberately 7 and with respect.
"Strategic partners give each other the courtesy of listening to concerns," he said. "So the Iraqis have raised some concerns. We are now trying to translate them and figure out what precisely 8 they are. And we will listen to them. We will evaluate them and we will make decisions based upon our understanding at that point."
No one in the Bush administration is commenting publicly on the specifics of the proposals. But an Iraqi government spokesman in Baghdad says the amendments include language that would ban U.S. forces from attacking neighboring countries from Iraqi territory. The proposed changes also deal with the legal rights of American troops in Iraq and the outlook for a drawdown of U.S. forces.
Some Iraqi officials have acknowledged that these changes will be difficult for the United States to accept, leaving open the possibility of seeking an extension of the U.N. forces mandate.
Pentagon spokesman Morrell told reporters Wednesday that Washington is heartened by statements from Moscow and other capitals on prospects 9 for renewal 10. But he stressed the focus remains 11 on reaching a Status of Forces Agreement on time.
- The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
- The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
- negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
- Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
- Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
- He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句
- The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
- Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。
- We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
- He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。
- The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
- They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
- There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
- They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。
- Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
- Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。