VOA标准英语2009年-US House Overwhelmingly Passes Resolution
时间：2019-02-12 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2009年(十一月)
By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
04 November 2009
A cloud of smoke billows from the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strikes as seen from the Israel-Gaza border, 15 Jan 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning 1 a report by a United Nations fact-finding panel that criticized Israel as part of an assessment 2 of the conflict in Gaza in 2008 between Israel and Hamas. House lawmakers approved the symbolic 3 measure by a vote of 344 to 36.
In its report, the U.N. panel headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone said Israeli forces and Palestinian Hamas forces committed violations 4 of international law, including war crimes, during the 22-day conflict which left 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead.
Among its recommendations, the panel said Israel, and Hamas which controls Gaza, should face potential prosecution 5 in The Hague if they do not conduct independent and credible 6 investigations 7 within six months.
But the report provoked angry reaction in Congress, where many lawmakers condemned 8 it as biased 9, while others asserted it contained balanced criticism of Israel and Hamas.
The House resolution calls the commission's report irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy 10 and urges the Obama administration, which has already condemned it, to strongly oppose its endorsement 11 by the United Nations.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was among Democrats 12 and Republicans characterizing the Goldstone report as biased, and taking aim at the U.N. Human Rights Council which established its mandates 13.
"The Human Rights Council mandates for the report specifically targeted Israeli actions, ignoring, ignoring the deliberate Hamas attacks on civilians 14 [in Israel] that provoked Israel's self-defense 15 in Operation Cast Lead [Israeli military operation in Gaza in 2008," said Steny Hoyer.
However, Republicans and Democratic opponents said the resolution itself was biased, asserting that by passing it the House would be demonstrating it wants to cover up the truth about actions in Gaza by both Hamas and Israel.
Democratic Representative Betty McCollum:
"This resolution is blatantly 16 biased and it damages U.S. credibility," said Betty McCollum. "This resolution seeks to hide the ugliness of the Gaza war by covering up violent excesses committed against innocent civilians by both Hamas and the Israeli Defense [Forces]."
Republican Representative David Price asserted that passage would also complicate 17 U.S. efforts for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and negatively impact Israel's own investigations:
"Israel is a strong and resilient democracy," saidd David Price. "Successfully investigating this episode could only make it stronger, but we shouldn't pass this resolution now which could actually hinder the wheels of justice before they have ever begun to turn."
Richard Goldstone, who headed the U.N. inquiry 18, wrote last week to the Democratic chairman and senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Howard Berman and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, demanding changes to correct what he called serious factual inaccuracies.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (file photo)
Though he and Ros-Lehtinen agreed to some changes, Congressman 19 Berman asserted that the commission's conclusions remain flawed. He said lawmakers needed to voice a position before Wednesday's U.N. General Assembly consideration of a resolution supported by Arab countries on the Goldstone report.
"The fact is, I truly believe the report is flawed," said Howard Berman.
Israel and the United States have urged foreign governments to vote against the resolution on the Goldstone report.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for implementation 20 of its recommendations. Human Rights Watch urged U.S lawmakers to vote against resolution in the House of Representatives.
Besides urging the Obama administration to oppose any further consideration of the Goldstone report in multi-lateral forums 21, or measures stemming from it, the resolution also reaffirms support for Israel's security and right to self-defense, and its right to defend its citizens from violent militant 22 groups and their state sponsors.
- The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
- I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
- What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？
- It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
- The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。
- This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
- These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。
- The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
- He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。
- The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
- Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？
- His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
- He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
- a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
- The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。
- The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
- Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。
- We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
- His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。
- The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
- The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
- While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。
- the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
- At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。
- 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。
- Safety guidelines had been blatantly ignored. 安全规章被公然置之不顾。
- They walked grandly through the lobby, blatantly arm in arm, pretending they were not defeated. 他们大大方方地穿过门厅，故意炫耀地挎着胳膊，假装他们没有被打败。
- There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
- These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。
- Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
- The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
- He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
- The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
- A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
- It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。