LessonEleven-Is America’s new declinism for real.ppt

Unit Three—US Domestic Affairs II Lesson Eleven Is America’s new declinism for real? Structure of the Text Part 1 (Para 1-4): A “new declinism” became the intellectual trend. Part 2 (Para 5): What lead to the new declinism. Part 3 (Para 6-8): Some advocate the argument. Part 4 (Para 9-12): Some down play the argument. Part 5 (Para 13-14): The new declinism is different from its past versions. Difficult Sentences of the Text Its officer training corps prowl the campus in crisply pressed uniforms and knee-high leather boots, greeting each other with brisk “howdys”. Agonised introspection and crises of confidence are not Texan traits. (para. 1) 该校的军官训练团行走在校园里的时候，总会身着笔挺的制服，脚穿齐膝的皮靴，彼此用轻快的“你好”(howdy, 方言，意为how do you do)打招呼。烦恼的自省和信心危机不是德克萨斯人的特点。 But last week the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas AM hosted a conference designed to discuss the latest, markedly gloomy world view issued by Americas intelligence establishment. (para.2) America’s intelligence agency issued the latest, obviously gloomy world view which would be discussed at the conference hosted by the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas AM last week. The latest report, published on November 20, has made headlines around the world. (para.3) 这份发表于11月20日的最新报告成了全球的头条新闻。 But it is part of a broader intellectual trend in America: a “new declinism”. This mood marks a complete break with the aggressive confidence of the Bush years and the “unipolar moment”. (para.4) But the report partly indicates a tendency in America: a “new declinism”. The tone is completely different from the Bush Administration confidence and the “unipolar moment”. Three developments have fed the new declinism. First, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have underlined that US military supremacy does not automatically translate into political victory. (para.5) The new declinism was encouraged by three developments. First, US military supremacy does not mean political victory, which can be seen in the wars in