Charles A. Kupchan and Ray Takeyh International Herald Tribune
Published: July 19, 2006
WASHINGTON The Middle East is burning. （1）From Baghdad to Beirut, car bombs, suicide attacks, air strikes and a grim tally of civilian deaths are the new currency of daily life.
The extremist and rejectionistmachinations[1]of Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah are partly to blame. But so is an American administration that thought it could transform the Middle Easto________①.
（2）Instead, Washington's ideological hubris[2] and practical incompetence have succeeded only in setting the region ablaze[3], awakening extremist and militant voices.
The toppling of Saddam Hussein was intended to send shock waves across the Arab world, intimidating the region'sb________②tyrannies while encouraging the spontaneous civic movements. In Iraq itself, democrats were to replace a brutal autocrat, providing a model for the region.
Precisely theo________③has happened. The war has not onlyengulfed[4]Iraq in violence and made the country a magnet for jihadists, but it has also awakenedsectarian[5]tensions that are spreading beyond Iraq's borders. From Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Shiites and Sunnis are cautiouslye________④each other, heading for a mounting rivalry that has already helped plunge Lebanon into chaos.
From its strategic outpost in Iraq, the United States was to havehemmed[6]in Iran and Syria. Instead, Iran’s Shiite allies are now having gained the upperh________⑤in neighboring Iraq. （3）Syria continues to turn a blind eye as militants transit its territory to join the fight in Iraq.And Damascus has now teamed up with Tehran to aid andabet[7]the alliance between Hamas and Hezbollah.
Far from taming the region's politics, Washington's policies have succeeding in putting atruculent[8]Iran in command of the Islamic street.
____________________________________.（布什政府在处理巴以问题上也好不到哪里去。）Preoccupied with Iraq, Washington has effectively disengaged from the peace process. The Bush team not only abandoned Bill Clinton's diplomatic efforts, but alsoderided[9]them as naïve and ineffectual. But for all its faults, Clinton's diplomacy sustained a process of reconciliation.
In contrast, Bush's disengagement has only led to the radicalization of Palestinian politics. Even major Israeli concessions, such asw________⑥from Gaza, are unable to quell the extremist fervor.
But we already have ample proof that it has chosen the wrong means. Itserrant[10]attempt to impose democracy through force hasb_________⑦.
（4）Iraq lies in ruins, Islamist forces are strengthening, and the Palestine-Israel conflict threatens to become a full-scale war. The mistakes of the Bush administration are coming home to roost[11].
注释：
[1]machination n.阴谋诡计
[2]hubris n.骄傲，狂妄自大
[3]ablaze adj.燃烧的，着火的
[4]engulf v.吞没；席卷
[5]sectarian n.宗派主义者
[6]hem v.包围；约束；围困
[7]abet v.教唆，煽动，支持
[8]truculent adj.好战的；脾气暴躁的，好斗的
[9]deride v.嘲弄，嘲笑
[10]errant adj.错误的
[12]roost v.&n.栖息（地） come home to roost恶有恶报
试一试：
1．翻译划线部分英文：
参考译文：
（1）从巴格达到贝鲁特，汽车炸弹、自杀式炸弹袭击、空袭以及不断增加的平民死亡人数成为家常便饭。
（2）华盛顿的傲慢和事实上的办事不力不仅没有改变中东，反而唤醒了极端主义和好战主义势力，让这个地区燃起战火。
（3）叙利亚也继续对穿越边境到伊拉克参加战斗的好战分子采取睁一只眼闭一只眼的态度。
（4）伊拉克满目疮痍，伊斯兰极端势力不断壮大，巴以冲突有可能发展为全面战争。这是布什政府咎由自取。
2．根据译文，写出句子：
参考译文：[replyview]The Bush administration has done no better on the Palestinian-Israeli front.（主要学习“do no better”的用法）
3.根据首字母提示和译文，写出相应单词：
①it could transform the Middle Easto________（能够一夜之间改变中东面貌）
②intimidating the region'sb________tyrannies（震慑该地区脆弱的专制政权）
③Precisely theo________has happened（结果却适得其反）
④Shiites and Sunnis are cautiouslye________each other（什叶派和逊尼派紧张对峙）
⑤having gained the upperh________in neighboring Iraq（已在邻国伊拉克占据了上风）
⑥such asw________from Gaza（比如从加沙撤军）
⑦Its errant[10] attempt to impose democracy through force hasb_________（它通过武力来实现民主的努力只会产生适得其反的效果）
参考答案：
①overnight ②brittle ③opposite ④eyeing ⑤hand ⑥withdrawal ⑦backfired
参考消息原文全部：
【美国《国际先驱论坛报》7月1 9日文章】题：中东：收获布什种下的恶果 作者乔治敦大学国际事务教授查尔斯•库普钱 美国外交学会研究员雷•塔基
中东起火了。从巴格达到贝鲁特，汽车炸弹、自杀式炸弹袭击、空袭以及不断增加的平民死亡人数成为家常便饭。
出现这样的局面，伊朗、叙利亚、哈马斯和真主党的极端主义和抵制主义阴谋是原因之一，但是以为能够一夜之间改变中东面貌的布什政府也难辞其咎。
华盛顿的傲慢和事实上的办事不力不仅没有改变中东，反而唤醒了极端主义和好战主义势力，让这个地区燃起战火。
推翻萨达姆的统治原本是要在阿拉伯世界形成一股冲击波，震慑该地区脆弱的专制政权，同时鼓励这里自发的旨在维护民权的运动。拿伊拉克来说，要让民主人士取代残暴的独裁者，在该地区树立一个样板。
结果却适得其反。战争让伊拉克被暴力活动吞没，把这个国家变成吸引圣战者的磁石。不仅如此，伊拉克战争还让宗派紧张态势再次出现，并蔓延到其他国家。从沙特阿拉伯到黎巴嫩，什叶派和逊尼派穆斯林紧张对峙，敌对状态不断升级，这种敌对已经让黎巴嫩陷入混乱之中。
美国原本要通过伊拉克这个战略前哨来牵制伊朗和叙利亚。然而如今，伊朗的什叶派盟友已经在邻国伊拉克占据了上风。叙利亚也继续对穿越边境到伊拉克参加战斗的好战分子采取睁一只眼闭一只眼的态度。大马士革现在和德黑兰一道，帮助和支持哈马斯与真主党结盟。
华盛顿的政策不仅没有让该地区的政治局势归于平静，反而让伊朗以好战的姿态在伊斯兰世界发挥着领导作用。
布什政府在处理巴以问题上也好不到哪里去。由于华盛顿把全部注意力都放在了伊拉克问题上，它事实上已经脱离了巴以和平进程。布什领导班子不仅抛弃了克林顿政府的外交努力，还嘲弄该政策既幼稚又无效。克林顿的外交行动尽管存在不足，可是却维持了巴以和解进程。
相反，布什脱离巴以和平进程的做法只会让巴勒斯坦政治变得激进。甚至连以色列作出的像从加沙撤军这样的重大让步都无法熄灭极端主义势力的狂热情绪。
我们有充分的理由说，布什政府为平息中东地区的局势所采取的手段是错误的。它通过武力来实现民主的努力只会产生适得其反的效果。
伊拉克满目疮痍，伊斯兰极端势力不断壮大，巴以冲突有可能发展为全面战争。这是布什政府咎由自取。
