VOA双语新闻 Bush Refocusing on Iraq

President Bush is trying to counter low poll numbers by refocusing public attention on Iraq and his efforts to improve the U.S. economy. Democrats 1 say the president's plans to overhaul 2 the U.S. pension program will hurt small farmers.

美国总统布什试图将公众的注意力重新转向伊拉克以及他争取改善美国经济的努力，以便扭转民意支持率偏低的局面。民主党人认为，布什改革美国养老金的计划会对小农户造成伤害。

White House officials say the president is launching a campaign to sharpen the focus on two of the biggest concerns for Americans, the war in Iraq and the economy at home.

白宫官员说，布什总统正在采取行动，进一步把注意力放在美国人最关心的伊拉克战争和国内经济两大议题上。

Coming off a week of public opinion polls that show some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency 3, Mr. Bush used his weekly radio address to remind Americans of the link he has made between the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

一个星期以来的民意调查显示，对布什的满意程度降到最低点。布什利用每星期例行的广播讲话提请美国人注意把他的表现同九一一恐怖袭击和美国进攻伊拉克联系起来。

"We went to war because we were attacked, and we are at war today because there are still people out there who want to harm our country and hurt our citizens," said President Bush. "Some may disagree with my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all of us can agree that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a central front in the war on terror."

他说：“我们开战是因为我们遭到袭击。我们还在战争之中是因为仍然有人想危害我们的国家和人民。有些人可能不同意我把萨达姆赶下台的决定，但是所有人都同意，全世界的恐怖分子已经使伊拉克成为反恐战争的前沿阵地。”

The latest CBS News / New York Times public opinion poll shows only 37 percent of Americans approve of the president's handling of the war in Iraq. That's down from 45 percent in February.

哥伦比亚广播公司和《纽约时报》刚刚进行的民意调查显示，只有37%的美国人支持总统处理伊拉克战争的方法。而在2月份，布什在这方面的支持率是45%。

The poll says two thirds of Americans feel the country is going in the wrong direction, and just over half disapprove 4 of the way Mr. Bush is doing his job.

这次调查显示，三分之二的美国人感到美国正在朝错误的方向走。有一半多一点的人不认可布什的工作方式。

The president says he does not pay attention to poll numbers, and remains 5 focused on his agenda. Nonetheless, White House Spokesman Scott McClellan says the president will start talking more about Iraq in the coming weeks. On Friday, the president meets with Iraq's prime minister, and the following Tuesday, he gives a speech on the one-year anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq.

布什说他并不在意民调数字，他仍然会集中精力落实自己的计划。尽管如此，白宫发言人麦克莱伦说，布什总统在今后几个星期里会更多地谈论伊拉克问题。这个星期五，布什计划会晤伊拉克总理。在接下去的星期二，他将在伊拉克主权移交一周年之际发表演讲。

Mr. Bush used his Saturday radio address to begin sharpening that focus at a time when Americans are increasingly concerned about continuing U.S. casualties. More than 1,700 American troops have died in Iraq in just over two years.

布什在星期六的广播讲话中开始强调伊拉克问题。而目前美国人对在伊拉克的美军持续伤亡越来越感到担忧。就在过去的两年里，已经有1千7百名美国军人在伊拉克阵亡。

The president says it is not an easy mission, and will not be accomplished 6 overnight, but he will settle for nothing less than victory.

布什说，这项任务并不轻松，不会一蹴而就。但是不获全胜，他决不罢休。

"Our troops are fighting these terrorists in Iraq, so you will not have to face them here at home," he said. "We mourn every one of these brave men and women who have given his or her life for our liberty. The terrorists know they cannot defeat our troops, so they seek to weaken our nation's resolve."

布什说：“我们的部队正在伊拉克打击这些恐怖分子，这样你才不会在美国遭遇恐怖袭击。我对每一位为了我们的自由而献出生命的英勇的男女军人表示哀悼。恐怖分子知道他们无法打败我们的军队。所以他们企图瓦解我们国家的决心。”

The president is also trying to refocus public attention on an improving U.S. economy and his plans to reform the federal retirement 7 program, known as Social Security. After four months of White House campaigning for changes to Social Security, the CBS News / New York Times poll shows only one quarter of Americans approve of the president's plan.

布什还希望把公众注意焦点放在正在改善中的美国经济，以及他对联邦退休计划，也就是社会保障计划的改革方案上。在白宫推行社会保障改革四个月后，哥伦比亚广播公司和《纽约时报》的民意调查显示，只有四分之一的美国人对布什提出的方案表示赞成。

In the Democratic radio address, North Carolina Congressman 8 Bob Etheridge says the plan would hurt small farmers, who depend more heavily on Social Security, because most fund their own retirement instead of relying on private sector 9 employee accounts.

在民主党的广播讲话中，来自北卡罗莱纳州的众议员鲍伯·埃瑟里奇说，这个计划会对小农户造成伤害。他们在很大程度上依赖社会保障计划，因为他们大多数人自己付钱储蓄退休基金，而不是依靠私人企业的员工账户。

The president wants to allow younger workers to invest part of their Social Security taxes in financial markets, in the hopes of gaining a higher rate of return.

布什想要允许年轻的工人在金融市场中为他们自己的社会保险税来部分投资，希望能获得较高的回报率。

Mr. Bush appears to be losing legislative 10 momentum 11 on Social Security, with Congressional Democrats largely united in opposing private accounts. Some members of the president's own party say the upfront cost of switching to private accounts is too high at a time of growing deficits 12.

布什先生看起来在保险问题上失去了立法动力，同国会民主党在反对私人帐户问题上很一致。一些布什本党派的成员表示在赤字增长期间面临的转变私人帐户的花费还是很高的。