VOA标准英语2009年-Afghan, Pakistani, Iranian Presidents Meet

The leaders of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to open their future meetings to other parties, which could include the United States. The tri-partite summit was held in Tehran.
　
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Tehran, Iran, Sunday, 24 May 2009

Iran is played host to a high-profile summit of two key war-torn neighbors, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in a bid to put an end to conflicts that rage along its borders.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari flew into Tehran, at the head of high-level delegations¹, to discuss a series of problems, including drugs, terrorism and Islamic extremism.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad told his counterparts that he hoped "fraternal and peaceful relations prevail in the region, once again ... as they have in times past."

Mr. Ahmedinejad also blasted "foreign intervention² and extremism," which he argued has been "imposed ... by outside parties" and has destabilized the region. He is heard through a translator.

"The presence of outside forces in our region is there under the pretext³ of establishing security. Yet, up to this day, (outside powers) have not contributed significantly to the establishment of (stability) and security, as well as economic and political development of the region."

Through a translator, Afghan President Hamid Karzai decried⁴ the bloodshed and violence wracking his country and appealed to his two neighbors to help find solutions to it.

"Based on the interests of the three countries, if we work together, if we analyze⁵ our problems and also explore solutions to those problems ... Today, in Afghanistan, every day, we have bloodshed ... Today, in Pakistan, every day, you see bloodshed," Mr. Karzai said. "Actually, in Afghanistan, we have large families which have been destroyed, and that is a great disaster. Can we save ourselves from those problems?"

Mr. Karzai also requested from his two counterparts that outside parties be allowed to participate in future tri-partite summits. Presidents Ahmedinejad and Zardari agreed to the request.

Mr. Zardari, whose country is battling Taliban forces along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, noted⁶, through a translator, the region is suffering from major "geopolitical problems".

"This is a time of a lot of problems in the world," Mr. Zardari said. "We can see the impacts of those problems on Afghanistan and Pakistan. We can see a lot of trouble around our borders and we cannot distance ourselves from the geopolitics of this region. There are big countries in our neighborhood and we cannot deny that. We cannot change our neighbors. We have to reconcile with this fact."

President Ahmedinejad concluded Sunday's public session, noting that "historic, constructive⁷ agreements" had been reached. President Zardari called the meeting a "historic moment, while President Karzai insisted that "such a summit had been needed ... for a long time."

1 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

2 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

3 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

4 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。