这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道节目。
Iraqis elected a new parliament in March. There was no clear winner. And five months later there is still no agreement on a coalition government.
今年3月，伊拉克人选出了新议会，但议会选举没有绝对的赢家。 新议会选举5个月后，仍然没有就组成联合政府达成协议。
On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council called on the politicians to settle their differences. It urged them to form "as quickly as possible, a government that is inclusive and represents the will of the Iraqi people."
周三，联合国安理会呼吁伊拉克政治家们消除分歧。并敦促他们“尽快组建一个广泛的、代表全体伊拉克人民意愿的政府”。
The top United Nations diplomat in Iraq says the delays are creating conditions that opponents of democracy could use for their own gain. Ad Melkert told the Security Council that the delays affect the rebuilding of basic services in Iraq. He said Iraqis average about nine hours a day without electric power.
联合国负责伊拉克事务的最高外交官阿德·梅尔克特（Ad Melkert）称，这种拖延将造成被反民主人士利用的局面。他对安理会表示，拖延还影响了伊拉克基础设施的重建，伊拉克人平均每天大约有九小时没有电力。
President Obama talked about Iraq in a speech Monday to the Disabled American Veterans Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
周一，奥巴马总统在乔治亚州亚特兰大市向一群残疾退伍老兵发表讲话时谈及伊拉克。
BARACK OBAMA: "Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy for Iraq and for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility. And I made it clear that by August thirty-first, two thousand ten, America's combat mission in Iraq would end. And that is exactly what we are doing, as promised, on schedule."
奥巴马：“上台后不久我就宣布了我们针对伊拉克以及向伊拉克政府全面过渡的新战略。同时明确在2010年8月31日结束美国在伊拉克的作战使命。这恰恰是我们按照承诺和计划正在进行的。”
The president said American forces have already closed or turned over hundreds of bases to the Iraqis. By the end of this month, he said, the United States will have brought home more than ninety thousand troops.
奥巴马总统称美国部队已经关闭或向伊拉克移交了数百个基地，到本月底，美国将撤回超过9万名士兵。
He said the mission in Iraq is changing from a military effort led by troops to a civilian effort led by diplomats.
他表示，在伊拉克的使命将从由军队主导的军事努力转型为由外交人员领导的非军事努力。
Violence in Iraq has decreased over the last three years. But there are still bombings and shootings daily. Insurgents often target the Iraqi army and police.
在过去3年里，伊拉克暴力事件逐渐减少，但每天仍然有爆炸和枪击事件发生。武装分子往往将目标指向伊拉克军队和警察。
Around fifty thousand American troops will remain in Iraq. They will train Iraqi soldiers and support counterterrorism operations. They will also protect the civilian efforts.
大约5万名美国士兵还将继续留在伊拉克帮助训练伊拉克士兵和执行反恐行动。他们还将保护非军事努力的活动。
The goal is for all troops to leave Iraq by the end of next year.
目标是在明年年底之前，从伊拉克撤回全部士兵。
President Obama also wants to begin a withdrawal from Afghanistan next July. He is sending more troops for now, though.
奥巴马总统还希望明年7月开始从阿富汗撤军。虽然目前他将派遣更多士兵前往阿富汗。
But this week, Mr. Obama could report apparent success in a different sort of battle -- against the largest accidental oil spill ever at sea.
但本周，奥巴马总统公布另一项有点不同的战斗的明确胜利---这就是针对历史上最严重的石油泄漏进行的斗争。
BARACK OBAMA: "So the long battle to stop the leak and contain the oil is finally close to coming to an end."
奥巴马说：“封堵泄漏和收集漏油的长期斗争终于将迎来胜利！”
The BP company pumped heavy drilling fluids, known as mud, into the top of its damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico. The process is called a static kill. Workers later added cement to harden in the well to seal it permanently.
BP公司将大量粘稠泥浆注入墨西哥湾破损油井。这个过程被称为“静灭法”。随后工作人员将向油井注入水泥，水泥硬化后将油井永久封死。
As a final step there are plans to pump in mud and cement from below through relief wells. That could happen later this month.
最后一个步骤计划通过减压井从油井底部注入泥浆和水泥。这可能在本月晚些时候进行。
The government now thinks close to five million barrels of oil leaked into the gulf between April and the middle of July, when the spill was contained.
政府目前认为，从4月到7月油井被控制住时，将近有500万桶石油泄漏到墨西哥湾。
Recovery efforts will continue. But Jane Lubchenco, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says most of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico is now gone.
善后工作还将继续。但国家海洋与大气管理局负责人简·卢布琴科（Jane Lubchenco）表示，墨西哥湾的大部分漏油已清除。
JANE LUBCHENCO: "At least fifty percent of the oil that was released is now completely gone from the system and most of the remainder is degrading rapidly or being removed from the beaches."
卢布琴科：“至少50%的漏油已被完全清除。 剩余的大部分正快速降解或被从海滩清理走。”