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　　U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates sounded an optimistic note about the possibility of speeding up U.S. troop withdrawals³ from Iraq, Wednesday, after meeting for a second day with top Iraqi leaders and talking with U.S. and Iraqi military commanders.
美国国防部长盖茨星期三乐观表示，有可能加快美国从伊拉克撤军。之前他与伊拉克领导人举行了两天会议，并与美国和伊拉克的军事指挥官进行了会谈。
Defense Secretary Robert Gates painted a mostly upbeat picture of the situation in Iraq, indicating that it was possible that more U.S. troops could come home sooner than anticipated.
美国国防部长盖茨对伊拉克局势的描述大体上是乐观的，这表明可能有更多的美军人员会比预期时间提早回家。
Gates' stressed that, in any case, he saw no cause for a slowdown in the pace of U.S. troop pullouts, but that any acceleration⁴, would necessarily depend on an assessment⁵ of the situation by U.S. Commander Ray Odierno.
盖茨强调，无论如何，他认为没有理由放缓美军撤离的步伐，但是任何加速撤军的做法，将有必要以美军指挥官奥迪耶诺对伊拉克形势的评估而定。
"I don't think there's anything in the cards for a slowdown. I think there's at least - and I'm not going into any specifics - but I think there's at least some chance of a modest acceleration [of the troop withdrawal² timetable] But, because of the way General Odierno sees things going, that remains⁶ to be seen," he said.
盖茨说，“我认为没有任何理由放缓撤军。我不会说到细节，但我认为至少有适度加速撤军的可能。不过，奥迪耶诺将军有他自己考察事态进展的方式，所以是否加快撤军仍没有定论。”
Gates added that he didn't "want to put General Odierno into a corner, but that the general was examining "all the possibilities and he's very encouraged."
盖茨补充说，他“不想让奥迪耶诺将军必须马上作出回答”，而这位将军正在考察“所有的可能性，并感到备受鼓舞。”
Two U.S. brigades are due to be withdrawn⁷ from Iraq by the end of 2009, but Mr. Gates indicated that an additional brigade may be withdrawn early if the situation warrants. The United States currently has about 130,000 troops in Iraq, and all are scheduled to pull out by 2011.
有两支美军部队将于2009年底前撤出伊拉克，但是盖茨表示，如果形势允许的话，另一支部队也许可以提前撤回。驻伊拉克的美军目前大约有13万人，预定他们将于2011年前全部撤出。
Secretary Gates spent his final hours in Iraqi Kurdistan, meeting with the President of the semi-autonomous region, Massoud Barzani.
国防部长盖茨在离开伊拉克前的最后几个小时来到伊拉克的库尔德斯坦，与这个半自治地区的主席巴尔扎尼会面。
The secretary reportedly has been trying to mediate⁸ between Kurdish leaders and the central government in Baghdad, over a thorny⁹ territorial¹⁰ dispute over the oil-rich region of Kirkuk.
有报导说，盖茨一直试图在库尔德族领导人和巴格达的中央政府之间进行调解，以解决双方在盛产石油的基尔库克地区一项棘手的领土争端。
Gates noted¹¹, Tuesday, that the United States was prepared to work to help resolve the oil and land disputes, which have Kurds and Arabs at loggerheads.
The Iraqi parliament, until now, has failed in attempts to cobble together a bill over oil revenues that would satisfy both Kurds and Arabs.
The issue of a new constitution for Kurdistan, which was removed from the ballot¹² in weekend elections, triggered anxiety in both Washington and Baghdad. The draft constitution laid claim to oil and gas rights that are contested by the central government.