VOA标准英语2009年-Biden Says NATO Unity Needed to Fight Terrorist

U.S. Vice¹ President Joe Biden is calling for a strong and united NATO to fight terrorist threats coming from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Biden spoke² at the Brussels headquarters of the Atlantic alliance, telling NATO members he is in Brussels to listen and to consult - particularly about how to keep Afghanistan and Pakistan from becoming havens³ for terrorists.
　
US Vice President Joe Biden (L) speaks with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop⁴ Scheffer during NATO meeting in Brussels (10 March 2009)

The United States is putting new focus on Afghanistan, adding more troops and looking for greater European support to counter the Taliban insurgency⁵.

Biden said it is critical the Atlantic alliance forge a common strategy to a common threat.

"The United States believes we share a vital security interest in meeting that challenge; each of our countries has a vital interest from the point of view of the United States in meeting that challenge," he said. " The deteriorating⁶ situation in the region poses a security threat not just in the United States, but to every single nation around this table."

Mr. Biden said the United States and Europe have already faced the consequences of the growing Islamist insurgency in Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan.

"It was from that remote area of the world that al-Qaida plotted 9/11. It was from that same area that extremists planned virtually every major terrorist attack in Europe since 9/11, including the attacks on London and Madrid," the vice president said.

Biden said Washington is interested in a strong and coherent NATO. He says without that the alliance will be unable to face the threats of the 21st century.

This theme is likely to be taken up again next month, when European and U.S. leaders meet for a summit in France and Germany to mark NATO's 60th anniversary. It also marks President Barack Obama's first trip to Europe since taking office in January.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 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。

3 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

4 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

5 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

6 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。