In Rebuff to U.N., Bush Vows to Attack

　　【参考译文】拒绝联合国和平努力，布什发誓要发动进攻

　　【注释】rebuff,“an unkind or unfriendly answer to a suggestion, request or offer of help or friendship, snub(对建议、要求或提供帮助、友谊所表示的)拒绝，冷落”：Our request for support met with an unexpected rebuff.我们请求支持，却遭到了意想不到的拒绝。这个词还可以作动词，意思相同：She rebuffed all suggestions that she should resign.她拒绝了所有要求她辞职的建议。

　　WASHINGTON -- President Bush tonight gave Saddam Hussein a 48-hour deadline to flee Iraq or face a U.S.-led invasion. "The tyrant will soon be gone," Bush vowed as 250,000 American troops stood poised to strike.

　　【参考译文】华盛顿–今晚布什总统限期萨达姆-侯赛因48小时内离开伊拉克，否则将面临美国发起的军事进攻。“这个暴君很快就要离去，”布什发誓道，而此时25万美军严阵以待准备行动。

　　【注释】deadline,“截止日期，最后期限”：I'm working to a deadline.我必须在规定日期之前完成工作。Can you meet the deadline?你能在最后期限之前完成吗？与此相反的是miss the deadline,超过最后期限。在“stood poised to strike”中poised的意思是“in a state of readiness to act or move准备行动的”，除此之外，还有(1)“在不稳定状态中的”：The sick man is poised between life and death.那病人处于生死边缘；(2)“小心地平衡着的”：She sat poised on the edge of her chair as if ready to go.她欠身坐在椅子边上，好象准备随时离开；(3)“沉着的，镇静的”：a poised manner沉着的态度。

　　As Bush put the nation on war footing, he also raised the terror alert to the second-highest level, warning that terrorists may strike U.S. interests at home or abroad in response to action against Iraq.

　　【参考译文】在布什宣布全国战争状态时，他还将恐怖威胁等级提升到次最高级，并警告说，作为他们对战争的反应，恐怖分子也许会打击国内外的美国利益。

　　【注释】footing,“a particular kind of position or base地位，基础”：I like to keep my relationship with colleagues on a business footing; it doesn't do to get too friendly.我喜欢与我的同事保持公事公办的关系，太友好了不行。

　　Bush issued his ultimatum after U.N. allies refused to back his bid for a resolution sanctioning military force. The diplomatic defeat forced Bush to move toward war accompanied by Britain, Spain, Australia and a handful of other nations in his self-described "coalition of the willing."

　　【参考译文】在联合国的盟友拒绝支持他要求授权动武的决议后，布什发表了这一最后通牒。这次外交上的挫败迫使布什决定在英国、西班牙、澳大利亚和其他几个他自称的“共同意志的联盟”内的国家的协同下准备发动战争。

　　【注释】ultimatum,“最后通牒”：On Wednesday night the UN issued its toughest ultimatum to date, demanding that all troops withdraw from the city.星期三晚间联合国发出了到目前为止最强硬的最后通牒，要求所有军队从城内撤出。sanction,“批准，同意，支持”：The church would not sanction the king's second marriage.教会不会批准国王第二次结婚。作名词时，它的意思是“制裁”：Western nations imposed tough sanctions on the rebel regime.西方各国对那个反叛者政权加以严厉制裁。

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