2007年VOA标准英语-Bush, Putin Seek Common Ground on Missile Defen

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
02 July 2007

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (l) and President Bush during a joint press conference at the Bush family compound in northeastern U.S. state of Maine, 02 Jul 2007

U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin say they are seeking common ground on the controversial issue of missile defense². VOA's Paula Wolfson reports during talks at the Bush family summer home in Maine, they looked for ways to resolve their deep differences on this key issue.

They still have not reached a meeting of the minds on missile defense. But both sides are showing an eagerness to defuse the issue, and come up with a plan that suits all sides.

President Bush wants to put missile defense systems in the Czech Republic and Poland to guard against attacks should nuclear weapons get into the wrong hands.

Russia is opposed to those sites. At the recent Group of Eight Summit in Germany, President Putin proposed using a Soviet³-era early warning radar⁴ system located in Azerbaijan as an alternative. In Kennebunkport, he suggested incorporating a radar facility in southern Russia, and talked about the need for even closer consultations⁵ between the Russians and NATO.

He said there is no longer any need for facilities in Poland or the Czech Republic. President Bush disagreed on that point, but said the new ideas suggested by the Russian leader are worth considering.

"I think it is very sincere. I think it is innovative⁶. I think it is strategic. But as I told Vladimir, I think the Czech Republic and Poland need to be an integral part of the system," Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Bush also spoke⁷ of cooperation between the United States and Russia on Iran. He said they are both concerned about Tehran's nuclear intentions, downplaying differences over the best solution to the problem. "We have no problems with the people of Iran but we do have a problem with a regime that is in defiance⁸ of international norms," he said.

Presidents Bush and Putin faced reporters along the rocky coast of Maine, with a seascape of clouds and waves serving as a backdrop. Their tone was collegial, reflecting the informal setting. Standing⁹ in shirtsleeves, they called each other by their first names, and spoke of the growing relationship between their two countries.

President Bush was asked if given all the tensions of recent years with Moscow, he still trusts Vladimir Putin. "Do I trust him? Yeh, I trust him. Do I like everything he says? No. And I suspect he doesn't like everything I say," he said.

Mr. Bush said it is important for the U.S. to have strong ties with Russia. President Putin emphasized the evolution of those ties since the fall of the Soviet Union.

He said the United States and Russia no longer look at each other through the sights of a gun, then added "we are no longer enemies."

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 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。

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

5 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

7 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。

8 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。