VOA双语新闻 Top US Military Officer Retires（在线收听）

The top U.S. military officer retired Friday, and was replaced for the first time by a general from the Marine Corps.

美国军方的最高级官员星期五退休，并且这个职位头一次由海军陆战队的一名将军接任。

On a parade ground at a U.S. military base near Washington, Air Force General Richard Myers ended his four years as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired after just over 40 years in the military. President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld led dozens of dignitaries at the ceremony, with military bands providing the music and military helicopters and fighter jets flying overhead in salute.

在华盛顿附近的一个美国军事基地的阅兵式上，空军将军理查德.迈尔斯结束了美军参谋长联席会议主席的四年任期，并且在从戎40多年后光荣退休。总统布什、副总统切尼和国防部长拉姆斯菲尔德带领20多名高官出席仪式，军乐队奏乐，军用直升机和战斗机在空中盘旋，向他致敬。

In an emotional farewell speech, General Myers spoke of the millions of troops in the U.S. military.

在令人感动的告别讲话中，迈尔斯将军谈到美国军队的几百万军人。

"We need look no further that right over here in Arlington National Cemetery to remind us that those who defend our freedoms often pay the highest price," General Myers said. "That has remained true for the past 230 years, and especially today."

迈尔斯说：“我们不需要再进一步看，就在阿灵顿国家公墓这里，它提醒我们，那些保卫我们自由的人经常付出最高的代价。过去230年来一直如此，特别是在今天。”

In recent days, in the face of criticism from members of congress, General Myers has vigorously defended the U.S. strategy in Iraq to fight the insurgency while training the new Iraqi military to gradually take on the job. And he has rejected calls both to send more U.S. troops, and to pull the troops out on a fixed timetable. He did not discuss such issues on Friday, but he did acknowledge representatives of several foreign militaries who attended the ceremony.

最近以来，面对国会议员的批评，迈尔斯将军大力捍卫美国在伊拉克打击暴乱活动的战略计划。根据这个战略计划，美军要负责训练新的伊拉克军人，以便让他们逐渐承担起各种任务。他拒绝接受派遣更多的美国军人的呼吁，也拒绝制定一个撤军的固定时间表。星期五他没有讨论这类问题，但是他答谢出席这个仪式的几个外国军方的代表。

"A cooperative effort on the part of the international community is absolutely essential," he said. "To our international friends and allies represented here today thank you for your cooperation and your commitment to peace and freedom. We're all in this war on terrorism together, and we will win this war together."

迈尔斯说：“国际社会的合作努力是绝对必要的。今天在这里的我们的国际友人和同盟，感谢你们的合作及你们对和平与自由的承诺。我们一起进行打击恐怖主义的战争，我们也会一起赢得这场战争的胜利。”

President Bush noted that General Myers took office just three weeks after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and said that made his job more difficult than any Joint Chiefs Chairman who preceded him.

布什总统指出，迈尔斯将军在2001年9/11袭击后三个星期就接任参谋长联席会议主席之职，并且说，这使得他的工作比起他的任何一位前任要困难得多。

"Every chairman faced difficult tests, yet none took up his duties under more demanding circumstances than Dick Myers," the president said. "In his first week as the chairman, we launched strikes on terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. By the middle of December, American troops and our allies had driven the Taleban from power, put al-Qaida on the run and freed more than 25 million people. In other words, Dick had plenty to do in his first 10 weeks on the job. We asked more of General Myers in the years that followed."

布什说：“每一位主席都面临困难情况的检验，然而没有一位比迈尔斯在更吃力的情况下任职。在他担任主席的第一个星期里，我们对阿富汗恐怖分子训练营发动攻击。到12月中旬以前，美国军队以及我们的盟军就把塔利班赶下了台，使基地组织溃逃，我们解放了2千5百万人。换句话说，迈尔斯在他工作的前10个星期里，有很多很多事情要做。随后这几年里，我们让迈尔斯将军做得更多。”

President Bush credited General Myers with developing a strategy to win the war on terrorism, leading the liberation of Iraq, forging strong relationships with his counterparts around the world and helping modernize the U.S. military and transform the NATO alliance. The president also noted that General Myers led the U.S. military in several humanitarian missions, including relief efforts after the Tsunami in Asia and the hurricanes in the southern United States.

布什总统感谢迈尔斯将军在制定赢得反恐战争的战略方针上做出的贡献。他领导解放了伊拉克，与全世界的盟友锻造强有力的关系，他促使美国军队更加现代化，并改造了北约同盟。布什总统还指出，迈尔斯将军领导美国军队完成了好几次人道主义救援任务，包括南亚海啸和美国南部飓风的救援工作。

During the ceremony, General Myers administered the oath of office to his successor, Marine Corps General Peter Pace. General Pace has been General Myers' deputy for the last four years, and is the first marine to become Chairman.

迈尔斯将军主持了他的继任者、海军陆战队将军彼得.佩斯接任美军参谋长联席会议主席的宣誓就职仪式。过去四年来，佩斯将军一直是迈尔斯将军的副手，他也是成为参谋长联席会议主席的第一位海军陆战队军官。

"We have a lot of work to do," General Pace said. "This moment in history in one where we have an enemy whose stated public intent is to destroy our way of life. Two- point-four million American men and women in uniform say, 'Not on our watch.'"

佩斯说：“我们有许多事情要做。在人类历史的这个时刻，我们面临着一个敌人，他公开声称要破坏我们的生活方式。然而240万美国男女军人说：‘绝不会让这样的事情发生’。”

As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pace is now the president's top military adviser, and a key figure in the development and implementation of U.S. military strategy worldwide.

作为美军参谋长联席会议主席，佩斯将军现在是总统的最高军事顾问，并且是制定和实施美国全球军事战略的关键人物。