2006年VOA标准英语-Japanese Lawmakers Endorse Upgrade for Defense

By Steve Herman
Tokyo
30 November 2006

Japan's Defense¹ Agency is about to be upgraded to a full-fledged ministry². VOA's Steve Herman reports from Tokyo on the significance of the move. 

 
A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force tank during a drill at a range in Gotemba (file)
 
Japan's lower house of Parliament voted Thursday to rename the Defense Agency the Defense Ministry in January.

It is an idea that has been around since the agency was created more than 50 years ago to oversee³ Japan's post-World War II defense forces.

But the reality of having a powerful minister overseeing military matters has been opposed by many Japanese liberals, who desired a permanent break with the country's militarist era, during which Tokyo colonized⁴ much of Asia and was eventually defeated by the Allied⁵ forces in 1945.

Many conservative politicians have worked for the past 15 years to gradually loosen the constitutional restrictions⁶ imposed on Japan's defense institutions. The Constitution contains a pacifism clause.

 
Shinzo Abe (File photo)
Former National Defense University President Masashi Nishihara credits Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with overcoming the political barriers to upgrading the defense establishment. But he says Japan's neighbors should not read too much into the change.

"It's not really a new era. I would simply say it's has been long overdue," said Nishihara. "The work has only been possible with Abe who is willing to go through this, simply to restore the status of the Self- Defense Forces to a proper state."

And that proper state means giving Japan's defense boss parity⁷ with his counterparts overseas.

Nishihara, who is now the director of the Research Institute for Peace and Security, says the status quo has been frustrating⁸ for Japan's Defense Agency director-general.

"When he meets with [U.S. Defense] Secretary Rumsfeld, it's not really an equal basis because it's an agency here," he said.

The defense minister at home will get an equal seat at the table with other members of Mr. Abe's Cabinet. The minister will be able to convene⁹ Cabinet meetings, push new legislation and have greater control over the national defense budget.

While members of parliament from the far left opposed the change, the main opposition¹⁰ Democratic Party endorsed¹¹ it. But the Democrats¹² insisted on defense issues remaining under strict civilian¹³ control. The prime minister continues to be the ultimate commander of Japan's armed forces, estimated to be the fourth largest in the world in terms of budget.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

4 colonized   

开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
• The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。

5 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 parity   

n.平价，等价，比价，对等

参考例句：

• The two currencies have now reached parity.这两种货币现已达到同等价值。
• Women have yet to achieve wage or occupational parity in many fields.女性在很多领域还没能争取到薪金、职位方面的平等。

8 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。