美国国家公共电台 NPR--Biden hosts French President Macron for the first state visit of his administration

Biden hosts French President Macron for the first state visit of his administration

Transcript¹

President Biden will host a state dinner for France's President Emmanuel Macron. NPR's A Martinez talks to Alexandra de Hoop² Scheffer of the German Marshall Fund, about the countries' relations.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

President Biden is hosting his first state visit this week for his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Relations between the U.S. and France are strong, but there are points of tension. France vocally⁴ challenges some U.S. policies where other European partners can be a little more subtle. But France's outspokenness⁵ also helps to explain why Paris is such a strong, old ally of Washington. For insight on what's at stake during Macron's first state visit, we turn to Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, director of the German Marshall Fund's Paris office. Alexandra, first off, what do you think will be the No. 1 point of discussion between Biden and Macron?

ALEXANDRA DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Well, I think the energy and the trade agenda is going to be the No. 1. And President Macron will really serve as, if I can call him that way, the European special envoy⁶ to prepare the ground for the following Trade and Tech Council, which will actually take place, as well, in Washington on December 5. So there's a sort of diplomatic sequence where Macron will try to play a role trying to negotiate - but there are very little chances that he will get some - some limited exemptions⁷ for certain European industries, to the same way that Canadian and Mexican industries have been exempted⁸ from certain measures in the Inflation and Reduction Act. So that, I would say, is the top, I would say, difficult agenda. And then the second piece is Ukraine. And there, what I see happening is a (speaking French), a kind of a growing convergence between the U.S. and French perspectives when it comes to pushing Kyiv for negotiations⁹, especially as we are entering the winter period.

MART?NEZ: That unofficial title you gave him - European special envoy - it seems like Macron, over the last few years, has really taken that and run with it. He seems to like to be in the center of the action. I remember his meetings with Vladimir Putin.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: That's also because, I would say, the European political landscape has truly changed after Brexit. You also have a Germany which is much more hesitant in the midst of what I would call a sort of identity crisis on many issues - its relation with Russia, its relation with China, its industrial policy, its energy dependencies. And so France, I would say by default, stands out as a key player in the European landscape and therefore as a key interlocutor for Washington. And that's why Macron finds himself, again, going as, you know, the first leader in the state visit to Washington.

MART?NEZ: Where do you see the biggest area of disagreement between Biden and Macron on how to deal with Russia and the invasion in Ukraine?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Well, I think this is where I see, really, a growing convergence. You know, if you listened to what John Kirby said yesterday, it was very revealing, you know, saying that he valued and applauded, to a certain extent, Macron's willingness to continue to speak and dialogue with Vladimir Putin. And so this is where I think France, on the Ukraine-Russia dossier, has an added value to say, you know, it might be useful for you, Washington, that I play that sort of diplomatic in-between role, such as in the Indo-Pacific. You know, France has this idea of portraying¹⁰ itself as a balancing power or third way in the U.S.-China competition. And this is also a way for Macron to say, you know, we're not taking a different position from the American position vis-a-vis China, but we are offering you a parallel track, a complementary tract¹¹, that Americans might indeed find very helpful in the competition with China.

MART?NEZ: You know, state dinners tend to include a lot of pomp and circumstance. There's that elaborate dinner at the White House. I mean, what talk actually gets done during these state visits? Why do they matter, Alexandra?

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Well, they do matter because, I mean, in France's case, I would qualify France as a rigorous ally of the United States. And you said it in your introduction rightly. France is a challenging partner for the United States and therefore, I would say, an even more important, crucial partner for Washington. It says out loud what other European partners think and is also very vocal³ about U.S.-European disagreements. So what I expect in the Biden-Macron conversation is, in fact, a very direct and frank conversation.

MART?NEZ: That's Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer - directs the German Marshall Fund's Paris office. Thank you.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 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。

3 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

4 vocally   

adv. 用声音, 用口头, 藉著声音

参考例句：

• She is not SCREAMER or MOANER - She is VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE. 她并不乱叫或发牢骚，只是用声音表示喜怒。
• The left has been vocally against. 左派力量一直竭力声讨。

5 outspokenness   

参考例句：

• He wondered whether his outspokenness a liability to John. 他怀疑自己那么心直口快，是否为成为约翰的包袱。
• He wondered whether his outspokenness might a. to his friend. 他怀疑自己那么心直口快，会否使他朋友背上思想包袱。

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 exemptions   

n.（义务等的）免除( exemption的名词复数 )；免（税）；（收入中的）免税额

参考例句：

• The exemptions for interpretive rules, policy statements, and procedural rules have just been discussed. 有关解释性规则、政策说明和程序规则的免责我们刚刚讨论过。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• A: The regulation outlines specific exemptions for some WPM. 答：该规定概述了某些木质包装材料的特定的例外情形。 来自互联网

8 exempted   

使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His bad eyesight exempted him from military service. 他因视力不好而免服兵役。
• Her illness exempted her from the examination. 她因病而免试。

9 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。

10 portraying   

v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The artist has succeeded in portraying my father to the life. 那位画家把我的父亲画得惟妙惟肖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ding Ling was good at portraying figures through careful and refined description of human psychology. 《莎菲女士的日记》是丁玲的成名作，曾引起强烈的社会反响。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

11 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。