VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Prepares for European Trip

U.S. President Barack Obama will leave Washington early Tuesday morning on his first overseas trip since taking office. He will attend a global economic summit in London and a meeting of NATO leaders on the French-German border.
　
US President Barack Obama announces terms of latest auto¹ industry bailout at White House in Washington, DC, 30 Mar² 2009

For the first time, Barack Obama will officially represent the United States on the world stage.

He will visit five countries in eight days, take part in three summits, hold numerous bilateral³ meetings, deliver a major speech on arms proliferation and open a dialogue with young people on the Internet.

His first stop is London for a summit on the international economic crisis held under the auspices⁴ of the G20 - a grouping of 20 of the biggest leading and emerging economies.

All agree that action must be taken. But there are differences over the right mix of government stimulus⁵ spending and financial system reforms.

President Obama was expected to push for more spending, similar to action he has already taken to try to boost the U.S. economy. But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the president will not dictate⁶ specific spending targets.
　
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (file photo)

"The president and America are going to listen in London, as well as to lead," Gibbs said.

Reginald Dale is an analyst⁷ with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

He says the president, who has promised new U.S. leadership, will have an opportunity to deliver in London.

"This is the chance - if Obama wants to restore world leadership - here is the opportunity being handed to him on a silver plate," Dale said. "And if he wants to show he is a world leader, he has to grasp that opportunity and do so."

Mr. Obama will also meet privately⁸ in London with the leaders of Russia, China, India, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

The president has talked about his desire to ease tensions between the United States and Russia. And his initial one-on-one session with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev -- coming just days before the NATO summit -- will be watched closely.

NATO talks will focus on the war in Afghanistan. And at this summit, President Obama's public popularity in Europe could collide with the reality that few support sending more troops into combat.

John Glenn, Foreign Policy Director for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, says the Obama administration will likely ask the Europeans for more military trainers and civilian⁹ personnel.

"They are reluctant to send more troops and put them in harms' way. However, there are signs they are willing to do those other non-combat missions. I think that is going to have to be the way forward for the Obama administration," Glenn said.

Mr. Obama will not make his speech on weapons proliferation at the NATO summit. Instead, he will deliver it the next day in the Czech Republic - a relatively¹⁰ new NATO ally and the nation that holds the rotating presidency¹¹ of the European Union.

The president is invited to Prague for an EU summit with Czech leaders and European Union officials. While there, he is also expected to discuss American plans for a missile defense¹² system in Europe. The Czech Republic and Poland would host components¹³ of the system, which is now under review by the Obama administration.

Mr. Obama will end his trip on a symbolic¹⁴ note in Turkey - the first predominantly Muslim country to host the new U.S. president. While there, he will seek to open a dialogue with young people in the region. Aides say Mr. Obama will host a question and answer session that will be conducted, in part, on the Internet.

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

5 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

6 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

7 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。

8 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

9 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。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

12 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。

13 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

14 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。