美国国家公共电台 NPR Canadian Prime Minister Talks Trade, Immigration In First Meeting With Trump

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

President Donald Trump¹, today, is playing host to Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Canada is America's second-biggest trading partner. Hundreds of billions of dollars in trade across the border every year. But as NPR's Jackie Northam reports from Toronto, President Trump's tough talk about the future of NAFTA is raising some deep concerns up north.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE²: A bitterly cold wind blowing in off Lake Ontario doesn't deter³ skaters zipping around an ice rink outside Toronto City Hall. A different type of chill is coming in from the south. It's from President Trump, who has called NAFTA the worst trade deal ever and is threatening to rip up - or at least renegotiate it.

MARK MANGER: There is a very genuine fear here in Canada, and I think that - and Canadian autoworkers, in particular, are very worried about that.

NORTHAM: That's Canadian political scientist Mark Manger at the University of Toronto. He says NAFTA is not as contentious⁵ an issue in Canada as in the U.S. It's helped provide a lot of jobs, many in the auto⁴ industry.

MANGER: We're talking about over 100,000 jobs here in Canada that are essentially⁶ in the auto industry.

NORTHAM: And Canada wants to protect them. The policy seems to be lie low. Because, as former member of Parliament Barry Campbell explains...

BARRY CAMPBELL: Canada has not been in the crosshairs. We've not had a target on our back. The anti-trade rhetoric⁷ has been directed, first and foremost, at Mexico.

NORTHAM: Canada and the U.S. have had a trade relationship since long before NAFTA went into effect in 1994. And that trade is robust⁸. It topped half a trillion dollars in 2015. Campbell says three-quarters of Canada's exports go to the U.S., and 35 states count Canada as their leading export market.

CAMPBELL: Our two-way trade is roughly in balance, unlike U.S.-Mexico trade. So that argues in favor of leaving things the way they are.

NORTHAM: There's uncertainty⁹ whether Trump will want to leave things the way they are. A major concern is whether the U.S. will impose tariffs¹⁰, which could spark a trade war. To try and get ahead of any possible conflicts, the Canadian government has gone on a charm offensive, sending senior Cabinet members to Washington for meetings even before today's visit by Prime Minister Trudeau. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland briefed reporters in a teleconference on her meetings.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHRYSTIA FREELAND: I came away from those conversations with an appreciation¹¹ of the extent to which the political debate in the United States is only beginning.

NORTHAM: Still, Freeland said she warned U.S. officials that Ottawa strongly opposes any new tariffs, which she said would be mutually harmful. There's concern that Canada may get swept up in any disagreement or trade war between the U.S. and Mexico. Canada's ambassador to the U.S., David MacNaughton, is on record saying Canada needs to avoid becoming, quote, "collateral¹² damage."

Former MP Barry Campbell says in no way should Ottawa be seen as abandoning Mexico. But...

CAMPBELL: I think you have to plan for the reality that you're dealing¹³ with. We have to balance outreach and engagement with this administration with protecting our own sovereign interests.

NORTHAM: A point which Prime Minister Trudeau is likely to drive home during his meeting with President Trump today.

Jackie Northam, NPR News, Toronto.

(SOUNDBITE OF PORTICO QUARTET'S "RUINS")

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

4 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。

5 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

8 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

9 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

10 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

11 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

12 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

13 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。