VOA常速英语2013--国安局间谍活动使美国-欧盟贸易对话复杂化

 

NSA Spying Could Complicate¹ US-Europe Trade Talks 国安局间谍活动使美国-欧盟贸易对话复杂化

WASHINGTON — Allegations that the U.S. National Security Agency collected millions of phone records across the Atlantic and tapped cell phone communications by world leaders, have overshadowed a meeting of European leaders in Brussels. Some say the allegations have shattered their trust in the Obama administration. Others say the revelations undermine the crucial trans-Atlantic relationship and could complicate trade negotiations² between two of the world’s biggest economic blocs³. VOA'S Mil Arcega reports.

华盛顿为您报道-有人指控美国国家安全局通过一些世界领先的企业，从移动电话信息中获取了百万计的通话记录，这给在布鲁塞尔召开的欧盟峰会蒙上了阴影。有人说，该指控粉碎了他们对奥巴马领导的政府的信任。也有人说，该指控破坏了跨大西洋友谊，而且会影响世界上最大的两个经济体之间的贸易谈判。

The size and reach of the alleged⁴ NSA surveillance have outraged⁵ European leaders. French President Francois Hollande called it “unacceptable." German Chancellor⁶ Angela Merkel - whose cell phone was allegedly tapped by the U.S. - said her trust has been severely⁷ shaken. And at an E.U. gathering⁸ in Brussels, Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle demanded the truth.

国家安全局监听的规模和深度已经激怒了欧洲领导人，法国总统佛朗哥称之为“不可接受的”。德国总理默克尔的电话也被美国监听，她说她的信心曾数次动摇。再一次布鲁塞尔的会议上，德国外长韦斯特要求得到信任。

“For us, spying on close friends and partners is totally unacceptable. This undermines trust and this can harm our friendship," said Westerwelle.

他说“对我们来说，监听亲密的朋友和伙伴是完全不可接受的，这会影响相互信任和友谊”。

The White House has denied the most serious charges, saying the United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the German leader’s communications.  But less clear is whether it did so in the past.

白宫拒绝了大多数严重的指控，声称他们没有也不会监听德国领导人的通信信息。但其过去是否监听还不清楚。

European Parliament President Martin Schulz expressed disbelief. "I asked United States officials if this is true. They said perhaps, because of anti-terror measures… I could guarantee the European Parliament is not planning terrorist attacks on the United States!”

欧盟议会主席舒尔表示她的不信任“我想问美国政府，这是不是真的。他们说也许因为反恐需要…我能保证欧洲议会没有对美国进行恐怖袭击的计划”。

Unless Americans prove the allegations untrue, Schulz recommends suspending talks on a two-way free trade agreement between Europe and the United States. European leaders have downplayed those remarks.  

除非美国证明监听不是真的，舒尔提议暂缓欧洲和美国双边自由贸易协定的对话。欧洲领导人搁置了此提议。

But trade expert Stephen Szabo at the Transatlantic Academy said the alleged spying complicates⁹ ongoing¹⁰ negotiations.

但是跨大西洋学院的贸易专家邵博认为监听事件会使谈判复杂化。

“I think what will happen is the whole issue of data privacy, which is something the French have been pushing very hard, will now become a much more tougher issue. The Germans have been much more open to having an agreement on data privacy and I think this is going to make it more difficult,” said Szabo.

他说“我认为这是数据保密的整体问题，这在法国推行时十分困难，现在就变得更加困难了。德国在此问题上更加开放，我觉得事情更加困难了”。

U.S. trade officials insist conversations regarding N.S.A. surveillance be handled separately from trade negotiations. Szabo said the controversy¹¹, though, could give European companies the upper hand.

美国的贸易官员坚持进行贸易谈判会议，关于美国国家安全局监听事件将单独处理。

“It’s bad news for American companies, IT companies like Google and Apple and so on, because now you have the European, the German firms saying - 'go with us because we can protect your data.' So it is going to hurt, it’s going to cost billions of dollars to American companies."

邵博辩论会为欧洲企业取得优势“这对美国企业来说是一个坏消息，IT企业，像谷歌和苹果等等，因为你现在拥有了整个欧洲。德国的企业这样说道‘选择我们因为我们能保护你的数据’，这会花掉让美国公司心疼的数十亿美元“。

Experts say a Trans-Atlantic trade pact¹² could be the biggest bilateral¹³ trade deal in history, representing half of the world’s total economic output and about 30 percent of global trade. 

专家认为泛大西洋贸易协定是史上最大规模的双边贸易协定，代表了全球一般的经济总量和30%的全球贸易。

 

1 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

6 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

7 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

8 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

9 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

12 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

13 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。