VOA常速英语2008年-US to Argue Missile Defense in Moscow

By Colin Mc McCullough
Moscow
16 March 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates are preparing to meet with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss a U.S. missile-defense plan for Europe. Colin Mc McCullough reports for VOA news in Moscow that the Americans will meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev during the next two days in an effort to ease tensions.

Forty minutes. That is how long President Vladimir Putin kept Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates waiting during their previous visit to Moscow last October. Their agenda then, as now, was a discussion of America's missile-defense system plans. But this time, Rice says that things will be different.

At a press conference Friday during a Latin American trip, she said the State Department has had good private discussions with the Russians. She added that there is enough interest to head out again and see if progress can be made.

The March 17 and 18 meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will address the U.S. plan to build missile-defense facilities in Europe. Plans call for up to 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar³ system in the Czech Republic.

Last month, Mr. Putin said the U.S. plan will eliminate Russia's strategic deterrent⁴, and force a new global arms race between the two nations - one that he says could put a tremendous strain on the country's economy.

America has responded by saying that the missile-defense system is not intended to defend against a Russian arsenal⁵, but against a potential attack from Iran or a rogue⁶ threat.

Russia has offered alternative plans, including one to build a joint⁷ Russian-American missile defense radar site in Azerbaijan. American officials have been cool to this idea.

Whether the U.S. system would pose any threat to Russia remains⁸ in dispute.

Independent Russian military analyst⁹ Pavel Felgenhauer says many experts in Russia do not consider the proposal a threat to Russia's nuclear arsenal.

He says there is no threat from 10 interceptors in Poland. He adds that if such missiles were intended to intercept² against Russia, it would be better to station them in Ireland or North Dakota, where they could intercept Russian missiles more effectively.

The possibility remains of a joint system designed to protect Russia as well as Europe and the United States from a missile attack. As discussions continue, both sides realize they will have new presidents in office within one year. This prompts Felgenhauer to predict that nothing significant will come out of this week's two-plus-two talks.

U.S.-Russian relations during President Putin's two terms in office were marked by a tension over issues ranging from Kosovo's independence to Iran's nuclear program.

State Department spokesman Scott McCormack said Secretaries Rice and Gates could extend the trip, should there be signs of potential progress. Other topics on their agenda include nonproliferation and counterterrorism.

The meetings take place before President Bush's scheduled visit to Ukraine for discussion of possible NATO membership for the former Soviet¹⁰ republic. This topic has also been another source of U.S.-Russian tensions and is expected to be on the Rice-Gates agenda this week.

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 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

3 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。

4 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

5 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

6 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

7 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。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 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。