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　　Diplomatic efforts are continuing in an effort to secure a cease-fire in Georgia and the withdrawal¹ of Russian troops from the former Soviet² Republic.
有关方面目前仍然在通过外交途径，为俄罗斯从格鲁吉亚撤军、保证双方的停火而努力。
Analysts³ say relations between the United States and Russia have deteriorated⁴ over the last few years. Some of the reasons included Moscow's more assertive⁵ foreign policy, its opposition⁶ to U.S. efforts to place a missile defense⁷ shield in Eastern Europe and its strong objection to Washington's support of Ukraine and Georgia to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - or NATO.
分析人士说，美国和俄罗斯之间的关系过去几年一直在走下坡路。这其中的原因包括：俄罗斯推行更加凸显本国利益的外交政策、俄罗斯对美国在东欧部署导弹防御系统所持的反对意见、以及它对美国支持乌克兰以及格鲁吉亚成为北约成员的做法所持有的强烈的反对立场。
But experts say Moscow's recent massive military response in Georgia to Tbilisi's abortive⁸ attempt to take control of the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, has cast an even greater shadow on U.S. - Russian relations.
格鲁吉亚政府收复执意脱离的南奥塞梯首府的行动失败之后，俄罗斯对格鲁吉亚采取了大规模的军事行动。有关专家认为，俄罗斯在这个问题上所做出的反应，给美俄关系蒙上了更深的阴影。
"It probably makes them as serious and as bad as they've been since the Cold War ended, since the early [Mikhail] Gorbachev days," said Marshall Goldman with Harvard University.
哈佛大学的古德曼教授说：“俄罗斯采取的行动，可能使美俄关系进入了冷战结束、戈尔巴乔夫执政初期以来，双边关系的最低点。”
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said if Russia does not step back from its aggressive posture⁹ and actions in Georgia, the U.S. - Russian relationship could be adversely¹⁰ affected¹¹ for years to come.
美国国防部长盖茨表示，假如俄罗斯不改变针对格鲁吉亚的富有侵犯性的姿态和行动的话，那么美俄关系在未来的一些年里都会受到负面的影响。
Bob Legvold from Columbia University, says over the years, the United States has tried to engage Russia constructively¹² in such areas as nuclear weapons control, climate change and fighting global terrorism.
美国哥伦比亚大学的雷格沃德教授说，多年来，美国一直在努力与俄罗斯之间发展建设性的关系，在核武器控制、气候变化以及国际反恐斗争方面，都力争与俄罗斯合作。
"Now that kind of engagement, that kind of strategic dialogue becomes far more difficult, because political sentiment in the United States and in Europe has again seen Russia as a fundamental problem, even potentially a threat and an adversary¹³ and needs to be treated as such," he said.
他说：“如今，过去那种努力合作的情景，那种战略性对话，都变得非常困难了，因为经过这一事件，在美国和欧洲国家，政治情绪已经转变了；人们再次把俄罗斯看作是一个很大的问题，甚至是潜在的威胁和敌对一方。应该正视目前的情势。”
During a White House appearance Friday, President George Bush warned Russia that bullying¹⁴ and intimidation¹⁵ are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century. He also said he hopes Russia's leaders realize a future of cooperation and peace would benefit all parties.
美国总统布什星期五在白宫的一次公开讲话中警告俄罗斯，通过以强欺弱的手段和做法来推展外交政策，在21世纪，是不会被接受的。他还表示，希望俄罗斯领导人能够意识到，未来的和平与合作对所有各方都有利。
"A contentious¹⁶ relationship with Russia is not in America's interest," said President Bush. "And a contentious relationship with America is not in Russia's interest."
布什总统说：“美俄之间的紧张关系有悖于美国的利益，也有悖于俄罗斯的利益。”
Ronald Suny from the University of Chicago, says in the final analysis, cooperation between Washington and Moscow is vital to peace and stability in the international arena¹⁷.
芝加哥大学的苏尼教授说，最终，美俄之间的合作对世界的和平和与稳定至关重要。
"We need Russia in a number of different areas: in Balkan policy, in our relations with Iran and trying to prevent the development of nuclear power in Iran," he said. "So we don't want to jeopardize¹⁸ that relationship. And yet by encouraging Georgia, particularly by promoting Georgia's entry into NATO, we have seriously antagonized the Russians - and now we don't have that many cards to play. Basically, the ball is in Russia's court."
他说：“从很多不同的角度来看，我们都需要俄罗斯；比如说，在对巴尔干半岛的政策上，在我们与伊朗之间的关系上，在防止伊朗研发核武器的问题上，等等。所以说，我们不应当让美俄关系处于危险之中。但是，美国支持格鲁吉亚的立场，尤其是支持格鲁吉亚加入北约的做法，使我们同俄罗斯发生严重对抗，我们现在没有很多牌可以打。现在，要看俄罗斯的了。”
Analysts agree that the most pressing problem now is to enforce a ceasfire and bring about the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia. Only then could serious discussions about the status of breakaway regions in Georgia be addressed.
分析人士一致认为，目前最为迫切的任务是要具体实施停火协议，安排俄罗斯从格鲁吉亚撤军。只有这样，才能认真讨论和处理格鲁吉亚希望独立的那些地区的问题。