美国国家公共电台 NPR--What's ahead as Biden arrives in Israel for his first trip as President

What's ahead as Biden arrives in Israel for his first trip as President

Transcript¹

President Biden lands in Israel today, a country he first visited as a young senator about 50 years ago.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

President Biden has landed in Israel today.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: The connection between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep.

INSKEEP: This is the first stop in a tour that also takes him to Palestinian areas and to Saudi Arabia. NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid is in Jerusalem. Hey there, Asma.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE²: Hi there, Steve.

INSKEEP: What are you hearing from the president?

KHALID: Well, he landed just a short while ago in Tel Aviv. And he spoke³ about the history between the United States and Israel and, in fact, his own history as a politician who has visited this country 10 times in the span of the last 50 years. He also spoke about his desire to deepen Israel's integration⁴ into the Middle East. And, you know, while he's here, the president will have a range of meetings with Israeli leaders, Israeli politicians. He's also planning to visit the West Bank and meet with Palestinian leadership. But I should point out, Steve, that the president has no formal proposals for the launch of a grand new peace plan, and he spoke to that today.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BIDEN: Greater peace, greater stability, greater connection is critical. It's critical, if I might add, for all the people of the region, which is why we'll be - we'll discuss my continued support, even though I know it's not, in the near term, a two-state solution.

KHALID: You know, as the president himself acknowledged there, the politics on the ground here don't really support that sort of compromise right now.

INSKEEP: What is different about the region and the U.S. role in the region that it might have been in past decades that Biden was there?

KHALID: You know, the White House really wants to show that the U.S. role in the region is different, that it has changed, certainly in the last 20 years with the end of the Iraq War and the U.S. military presence significantly smaller than it once was. And so really what we're hearing from the administration is that the goal of this trip is to maintain the relative stability in the region. The administration's foreign policy has been focused elsewhere. It sees China as the overarching force to be reckoned with. But, you know, Steve, even as I say that, I do think it's worth noting that we do see plans that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is intending to visit Iran. And Biden, no doubt, is concerned about other countries trying to expand their influence in the region. And he's also concerned about spillover effects from Russia's war in Ukraine.

Later on this week, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the president will be meeting with leaders from OPEC countries. And, you know, for months, administration officials have been quietly making the case to these OPEC partners to increase their supply of oil. The White House does note that there has been an increase and they would certainly welcome more, though I should also say analysts⁵ have extremely low expectations that this trip is going to fix the price pressures that Americans have been feeling at the pump.

INSKEEP: OK, he's meeting leaders from OPEC countries. I guess that would include the leaders of the host country.

KHALID: That's right, Saudi Arabia. Biden plans to meet with the Saudi royal family on Friday when he lands there in the country. And that includes the crown prince, whom U.S. intelligence says approved of the operation to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. And, Steve, we don't know much yet about what that encounter will look like. You know, there is intense interest in whether the two men will be photographed shaking hands. The White House noted⁶ today that the president is planning to minimize physical contact on this trip because of COVID. And when he landed in Israel, Biden made a point of doing fist bumps along the red carpet on the tarmac. But, you know, there are a lot of questions about this sudden switch to possibly avoid handshakes because the president has done a lot of series of events in Washington recently where he's shaken quite a few hands. So we'll see if this sticks.

INSKEEP: NPR's Asma Khalid, watching for the details in Jerusalem, thanks so much.

KHALID: My pleasure, Steve.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。