2007年VOA标准英语-Japan's Prime Minister Candidates Confident on

By Catherine Makino
Tokyo
19 September 2007

The two candidates to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played down their differences in a subdued¹ news conference in Tokyo. They say they are confident they can win parliament's approval to extend the Japanese navy's support mission for U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan. Catherine Makino reports from Tokyo.

 

Yasuo Fukuda and Taro² Aso argue that extending the law to allow Japanese ships in the Indian Ocean to provide fuel for U.S. and other coalition³ forces is crucial.

Opposition⁴ parties, which now control the Upper House, are against extending the mission, which expires in November.

 

But, Fukuda says he is confident he can get the law passed.

 

He says he and his allies will explain to legislators that the mission is peaceful and that Japan should contribute to the fight against terrorism.

 

The former chief cabinet secretary added that he spearheaded the original approval of the bill six years ago.

 

Fukuda says that when he led the passage of the mission in 2001, the opposition party agreed fully⁵ with Japan's role in the war on terrorism.

 

Aso is a former foreign minister and current leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He expressed a similar view.

 

Aso said the intent of the mission goes back to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001. He pointed⁶ out that, of the more than 3,000 people who were killed, 24 were Japanese. Aso said Japan has a responsibility to participate in the fight against terrorism, along with the U.S.

 

Of the two, Fukuda is seen as the leading candidate to succeed Shinzo Abe as prime minister. He spoke⁷ of rebuilding Japan's ties with other Asian countries, especially China and South Korea. He has already built a close relationship with top Chinese politicians.

 

Aso has, in the past, taken a tough stance on China, but he sounded a warmer note Wednesday. He stressed that Japan's ties with China are vital and he gave credit to Mr. Abe for improving China-Japan relations.

 

Aso added that Japan should pursue its relationships with less developed Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. He said Japan has a "responsibility to help them achieve economic prosperity."

 

Both Fukuda and Aso also agreed that the U.S. is Japan's most important ally and that the bonds between them are stronger today than ever before.

1 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

2 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 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。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

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。