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The United States and Australia have reaffirmed their alliance in the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the installation of the new Kevin Rudd government in December. U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met Saturday in Canberra with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.

美国和澳大利亚在两国高层会议中重申盟国关系，这是陆克文领导的澳大利亚新政府去年12月组阁以来双方举行首次高层会议。美国国防部长盖茨、副国务卿内格罗蓬特星期六在堪培拉同澳大利亚外交部长史密斯和国防部长菲茨吉本举行会面。

When he was campaigning to take over the Australian government last year, Kevin Rudd made it clear he would modify Australia's relationship with the United States, particularly on the issue of Iraq.

陆克文在去年大选后接管澳大利亚政府时申明，他将修改澳大利亚同美国的关系，特别是在伊拉克问题上。

Now prime minister, Mr. Rudd has confirmed he will pull out more than 500 of the approximately one thousand Australian troops deployed² in the Persian Gulf³ region.

现在，新总理陆克文确认，他将把部署在波斯湾地区的大约1000名澳大利亚军队撤回500多人。

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates might have had reason to be upset with the Rudd government. Under the government of former Prime Minister John Howard, Australia was one of Washington's strongest supporters on military matters.

美国国防部长盖茨对陆克文政府失望可能是有原因的。在前总理霍华德领导下的澳大利亚政府曾经是华盛顿在军事问题上一个最坚定的支持者。

But Gates told reporters while en route to Australia Friday that he anticipated "continuity" in U.S.-Australian affairs. After meeting with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Saturday, Gates indicated that the relationship is essentially⁴ unchanged.

但是，盖茨在星期五前往澳大利亚的途中告诉记者，他预期在美国和澳大利亚事务上会保持连续性。盖茨在同澳大利亚外交部长史密斯和国防部长菲茨吉本举行会面后指出，美国和澳大利亚的关系没有发生实质性的变化。

"The United States has no better partner and no stronger ally than Australia," he said.

盖茨说：“对美国来说，没有比澳大利亚更好的夥伴和更坚定的盟友了。”

On other matters, Smith says he told the U.S. delegation⁵ Australia's growing commercial relationship with China should in no way damage Canberra's ties to Washington. He says he told Gates and Negroponte that the United States should have a constructive⁶ dialogue with Beijing, whose military modernization⁷ has been a concern to Washington.

在其他的问题上，史密斯说，他告诉美国代表，澳大利亚同中国在商务方面加深联系不会损害澳大利亚同美国的关系。史密斯说，他告诉盖茨和内格罗蓬特，美国应该同中国展开建设性对话，中国的军事现代化让华盛顿感到担忧。

Despite Mr. Rudd's planned pull-back in Iraq, military ties between Australia and the U.S. remain strong. Defense Minister Fitzgibbon told reporters Saturday he would like the option of buying America's state-of-the-art F-22 Raptor fighter jet.

尽管陆克文计划从伊拉克撤军，澳大利亚和美国的军事关系仍然非常紧密。澳大利亚国防部长菲茨吉本星期六告诉记者，他希望购买美国先进的F-22猛禽隐形战斗机能够成为一个选择。

Gates said U.S. law currently forbids sale of the Raptor to foreign countries, but he encouraged Australia to lobby the U.S. Congress to amend⁸ that law.

盖茨说，美国法律目前禁止向外国出售猛禽隐形战斗机，但是他鼓励澳大利亚游说美国国会修改这项法律。