Surprise Nobel for Obama Stirs Praise and Doubts

Surprise Nobel for Obama

Stirs Praise and Doubts

欧巴马获诺贝尔和平奖　评价不一

Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in a surprising decision that honored the first-year US president more for promise than for achievement. This drew both praise and skepticism from around the world. The presentation of one of the world's top accolades on Obama, who has yet to score a major foreign policy success after nearly nine months in office, was greeted with gasps from the audience at the announcement ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Describing himself as surprised and deeply humbled, Obama said he would accept the award as a "call to action" to confront the global challenges of the 21st century. "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations," he said in the White House Rose Garden.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," citing his current push for nuclear disarmament and his outreach to the Muslim world. Obama, a Democrat who took office in January as the first black US president, has been widely credited with improving America's global image after the eight-year presidency of George W. Bush, who declared war on Iraq in 2003. But critics called the Nobel committee's decision premature because Obama has achieved so few tangible gains as he struggles with challenges ranging from the war in Afghanistan and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea.

1.  What is NOT true of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize?

(A) It was criticized by some.

(B) He declined to accept it.

(C) It was given to him for trying to improve international cooperation.

(D) Obama was shocked to receive it.

2.  According to the passage, critics believe that Obama _____.

(A) is continuing down the same path as George W. Bush

(B) shouldn't be friendly to the Muslim world

(C) has an unproven record, so he doesn't deserve the award

(D) should get more involved in negotiations with North Korea and Iran

3.  Which of the following took place first?

(A) The US invaded Iraq during Bush's term.

(B) Obama was elected president.

(C) Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize.

(D) Iran and North Korea were in a tense nuclear standoff.

　　诺贝尔和平奖意外决定颁给上任第一年的美国总统欧巴马，此举表彰他所做的承诺多于他的成就。世界各地对此的反应有赞赏也有怀疑。诺贝尔和平奖是全世界最重要的奖项之一，在挪威奥斯陆公布得奖名单的典礼上，宣布得主是上任近 9 个月，却尚未达成任何重要外交政策的欧巴马，引来观众一阵议论。欧巴马形容自己得到这个奖项深感意外且更应谦卑，会把它视为『动力』，勇敢迎接 21 世纪全球的挑战。他在白宫的玫瑰花园说道：『我不认为这是表彰我个人的成就，而是对美国为达成各国人民愿望，率先采取行动，给予的肯定。』

　　设于挪威的诺贝尔奖委员会赞扬欧巴马为『加强国际外交以及各民族间的合作不遗余力』，表扬他推动核武的裁减以及和回教世界对话。民主党的欧巴马去年一月就职，成为首位美国黑人总统。任职 8 年的美国小布什总统在 2003 年向伊拉克宣战，使得美国国际形象受创，欧巴马上任后因为改善了美国的国际形象而广受肯定。但评论家指出，诺贝尔奖评委会的决定言之过早，因为欧巴马在面对从阿富汗战争、以巴纠纷到伊朗和北韩核子问题陷入僵局的挑战中，只达成极少数几项明确的目标而已。

标准答案: 1. (B)　2. (C)　3. (A)

For Your Information

诺贝尔奖委员会把 2008 年的和平奖颁给欧巴马，使他成为继罗斯福（Theodore Roosevelt）和威尔逊（Woodrow Wilson）之后，第三位在任期内获得诺贝尔和平奖的美国总统。而上次美国黑人获得诺贝尔和平奖的是 46年前的马丁‧路德‧金（Martin Luther King, Jr.）。