U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says President Barack Obama will travel to Turkey within the next month. The visit could be seen as a sign of improvement in a long friendship between the two NATO allies that was strained by the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
美国国务卿希拉里.克林顿说，奥巴马总统将在下个月之内访问土耳其。这次访问可以被看作美国和土耳其这两个北约盟国之间长期友好关系改善的一个迹象。美土关系曾由于美国军队2003年攻打伊拉克而一度处于紧张状态。
After meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was keen to stress the importance of Turkey to the United States. "President Obama asked me to send a personal message as a reflection of the value of we place on our friendship with Turkey. President Obama will be visiting Turkey within in the next month or so," she said.
美国国务卿克林顿在会见土耳其总理埃尔多安和外长巴巴詹后强调了土耳其对美国的重要性。她说：“奥巴马总统要我向土耳其领导人发出个人的信息，以反映我们对跟土耳其的友谊的珍视。奥巴马总统将在下个月之内访问土耳其。”
Analysts see Obama's planned visit as a significant step in strengthening U.S.-Turkish relations, which were severely strained during the previous Bush administration.
分析人士认为，奥巴马计划中的访问是加强美、土关系的重要步骤。在前总统布什政府时期，两国关系处于严重的紧张状态。
The majority-Muslim country refused to allow the United States to use Turkey to launch attacks against Iraq, when the U.S.-led invasion began in 2003.
2003年，以美国为首的联军开始攻打伊拉克的时候，土耳其这个穆斯林占多数的国家拒绝允许美国使用它的领土对伊拉克发动进攻。
The invasion itself was deeply unpopular among the Turkish public. According to opinion polls, anti U.S. sentiment in Turkey is amongst the highest in the world. But Clinton's visit is being viewed as starting a new chapter in U.S.-Turkish relations.
那次战争在土耳其民众中非常不得人心。民意调查显示，土耳其是世界上反美情绪最强的国家之一。但是，克林顿对土耳其的访问被看作美、土关系新篇章的开端。
The U.S. Secretary of State paid tribute to Turkey for its Middle East peace efforts. "I offered my appreciation to the prime minister and foreign minister for the leadership role that Turkey has played in bringing Syria and Israel together," she said.
克林顿赞扬了土耳其为中东和平所作的努力。她说：“我感谢土耳其总理和外长在推动以色列和叙利亚开始对话的过程中所发挥的领导作用。”
Turkey for more than a year has mediated between Tel Aviv and Damascus. But efforts collapsed with the Israeli attack on Gaza.
一年多来，土耳其一直在特拉维夫和大马士革之间进行斡旋。但是后来以色列攻击加沙，导致这一努力失败。
This week, the Obama administration's sent Jeffrey Feltman, the top State Department envoy on the Mideast, and Daniel Shapiro from the White House, to Syria. The move is seen as the most significant sign yet that it is ready to improve relations with the Syrian government after years of tension.
本星期，奥巴马政府派遣国务院高级中东特使菲尔特曼和白宫官员夏皮罗前往叙利亚。这一行动被看作到目前为止美国为改善跟叙利亚关系所发出的 最重要的信号。美国和叙利亚关系紧张已经有很多年了。
Clinton said while issues between Syria and the United States are being explored, they have not yet decided on concrete steps.
克林顿说，虽然美国和叙利亚正在探讨一些双边问题，但是还没有就任何具体步骤作出决定。
The U.S. Secretary of State also praised the role of Turkish forces in Afghanistan. "Turkey has been a major contributor to the ongoing struggle to stabilize Afghanistan. I remember the first time I flew into Afghanistan in 2003 , the officer who met me was a Turkish officer," she said.
克林顿还赞扬了土耳其军队在阿富汗所起的作用。她说：“土耳其为稳定阿富汗局势作出了重要贡献。我记得，我2003年第一次飞往阿富汗，在阿富汗机场上迎接我的就是一名土耳其军官。”
Clinton was in Israel and the West Bank earlier this week where she discussed Turkey's role in Middle East peacemaking. She also wants Turkey to be helpful in convincing its neighbors to allow their territory to become supply routes to Afghanistan where U.S. and other NATO forces are fighting a Taliban insurgency.
上星期早些时候，克林顿访问了以色列和西岸地区。她在那里讨论了土耳其在中东和平努力中所起的作用。她希望土耳其帮助说服邻国，允许美国经过它们的领土向阿富汗运动供给。美国和其他北约军队正在阿富汗同塔利班反叛力量作战。 |