bush considers abandoning u.n. resolution
布什考虑放弃联合国决议
washington - forced into a diplomatic retreat, u.s. officials said thursday that president bush may delay a vote on his troubled u.n. resolution or even drop it — and fight iraq without the international body's backing. france dismissed a compromise plan as an "automatic recourse to war."
华盛顿 – 由于外交上被迫退却，星期四美国官员说布什总统可能推迟就他备受诘难的决议在联合国进行表决，甚至可能将其放弃，进而在没有该国际组织支持的情况下进攻伊拉克。法国拒绝接受一项折衷方案，称其为“自动寻求战争的手段”。
★vote, 这里的意思是“投票，表决”：at the end of the meeting, a vote was taken on the motion. 会议结束前对该动议进行了表决。 we will have to put the matter to the vote. 我们将不得不把这个问题付诸表决。还可以表示（1）“选票，投票所做的选择”：at the election i shall give my vote to tom smith. 选举是我将投汤姆·史密斯的票。（2）“投票结果”：the vote yesterday went in his favor. 他在昨天的投票中获胜。（3）“选举权，投票权”：in britain, young people are given the vote at the age of 18. 在英国，年轻人到18岁就有选举权。recourse, “the act or an instance of turning or applying to a person or thing for aid or security,
★依靠；求助“: i'd prefer to buy the house myself without recourse to my parents. 我更喜欢靠自己的力量买房子，而不是去求助我的父母。
amid a swirl of recrimination and 11th-hour posturing, the white house called france's position unreasonable while u.n. secretary-general kofi annan raised the possibility of a global summit "to get us out of this crisis."
在令人眼花缭乱的互相指责和长达11小时种种外交姿态中，白宫指责法国的立场不可理喻，与此同时联合国秘书长科菲·安南提出可能要召开全球首脑会议以“使我们摆脱这场危机。”
★swirl, “whirling confusion or disorder,使晕头转向的骚乱或紊乱”：high-pressure farce built around the swirl of mistaken identities，因身份的错乱而产生高度紧张的闹剧。做动词的意思是：（1）“旋转”：they watched the snow swirling past the window. 他们看着雪花在窗外飞舞；（2）“眩晕”：riding the roller coaster made my head swirl. 乘坐过山车使我头晕目眩。 recrimination,“吵架，互相指责”：the negotiation broke down in an atmosphere of recrimination. 谈判在互相指责的气氛中破裂了。
iraq braced for war, lining the streets of baghdad with fighting positions and foxholes, while the pentagon moved b-2 stealth bombers from whiteman air force base in missouri to bases close to iraq.
伊拉克加紧备战，在巴格达街道两侧布置了许多战位和散兵坑，另一方面，五角大楼将数架b-2隐身轰炸机从密苏里州的怀特曼空军基地派往接近伊拉克的基地。
★brace for, “prepare （oneself） for something unpleasant or difficult 准备迎接（困难），使振作精神”：the country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。 stealth, “悄悄、秘密的行动”：the weapons had been acquired by stealth. 这些武器被偷偷弄到手。这里用如形容词。相应地，stealthy意为“悄悄的，鬼鬼祟祟的”：a stealthy glance at her watch. 偷偷地看了一下她的手表。
the government of iraqi president saddam hussein exulted in the diplomatic tumult over a u.s.-british backed resolution that would demand that iraq disarm by monday. the allies "have lost the round before it starts while we, along with well-intentioned powers in the world, have won it," the popular daily babil, owned by iraqi president saddam hussein's son, odai, said in a front-page editorial.
所有这些围绕美英支持的要求伊拉克下星期一解除武装的决议草案展开的外交纷争，使得萨达姆总统的伊拉克政权欣喜不已。（美英）联盟“已经在未开战前就先输了一个回合，然而我们，连同世界上所有善意的力量一道，已经获得了胜利，”当地有名的《巴比伦日报》在一则头版社论中这样写到，这家报纸为总统萨达姆的儿子乌代所有。
★exult, “欢跃，狂喜”：the soldiers exulted at their victory. 战士们为取得胜利而欢跃。exultant, “（正式语）兴高采烈的”：the exultant crowds were dancing in the streets. 兴高采烈的人群在大街上跳舞。
世博英语