VOA常速英语2014--越希望美在解决与中争端上发挥更大作用（在线收听）

Vietnam Wants Larger US Role in Dispute With China 越希望美在解决与中争端上发挥更大作用

STATE DEPARTMENT — Vietnam wants the United States to play a bigger role in settling territorial disputes with China. Washington is refusing, though, to take a stand on the location of a Chinese oil rig that Vietnam says is in its territorial waters.

Vietnam says this video shows China's coast guard ramming a Vietnamese fishing vessel last month near a Chinese oil rig in disputed South China Sea waters.

越南称这段视频显示，上月在争议的南中国水域中国钻井平台附近，中国的海监船冲撞了一艘越南渔船。

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said that is not what happened. "In the relevant seas, China's ships were on the defensive and Vietnam's ships were on the offensive.

中国外交部发言人洪磊称情况并非如此，“在这片海域中，中国船只处于守势，而越南船只处于攻势。”

Vietnam says it wants the Obama administration to do more to help stop Beijing. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said, "We would like the U.S. to continue to have a stronger voice, as well as more practical and constructive actions to contribute to the peace, stability, security and safety of seas in the region and to solve regional disputes by international law."

越南称希望奥巴马政府进一步帮助阻止北京，越南外交部发言人黎海平说，“我们希望美国能继续做出更强硬立场，同时采取更实际和建设性的行动来促进该地区的和平、稳定、安定和安全，并根据国际法解决地区争端。”

Staying on sideline

Washington says it will not take a stand, however, on Hanoi's claim the oil rig is in Vietnamese waters.

然而，华盛顿称对于河内所谓钻井平台在越南水域的说法不愿表态。

U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, "We encourage the sides to maintain dialogue with each other, but we are not going to weigh in on speculation about their location and what it means."

美国国务院发言人简·帕斯卡称，“我们鼓励双方保持对话，但我们不准备就其立场和意味进行揣测。”

American Enterprise Institute analyst Michael Auslin said that puts the Obama administration at a disadvantage.

美国企业研究院分析员迈克尔·奥斯林说这就使奥巴马政府处于不利地位。

"When the administration goes so far as to say that it is not going to determine whether or not these waters are in the common definition of the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam, you have taken a very great step toward abdicating any input that you can have into this situation," he said.

“当美国政府声称不准备决定这片水域是否属于一般意义上的越南专属经济海域时，其实就是放弃对这个局面的任何评价。”

Asia pivot

Auslin said that will be seen by China and U.S. allies as a clear sign Washington will use any excuse to not get involved.

奥斯林说这样中国和美国盟友就会认为，这一信号明确表明华盛顿会利用一切借口避免牵涉其中。

"At least you can lay the groundwork and say, 'Yes, this is clearly in Vietnamese waters. We still believe it is up to Vietnam and China to solve.' But that does not mean that we should not accept what is pretty much a reality and something that we ourselves observe in every other waters all around the world," said Auslin.

“起码可以做个铺垫，说，‘是的，这确实是越南的水域。我们仍认为这要靠越南和中国来解决。’但这并不意味着我们不应该接受几乎是现实的情况，接受我们在世界各地各个水域看到的那些情况。”

American University Professor Hillary Mann Leverett said it is undermining the so-called U.S. pivot of military and diplomatic resources to Asia.

美洲大学教授希拉里·曼说，目前的局面损害了所谓美国轴心对亚洲的军事和外交资源。

"That is what China wants to show to Vietnam: 'You are under the biggest stress that you have been under, and the one country that could come and help you out is not going to do it. You need to make amends with China.' That is I think very much part of the strategy and why we will continue to see more," said Mann Leverett.

“中国希望让越南明白，“你现在面临着最大压力，原本会来帮助你的国家不准备来了。你需要向中国道歉。”我想这就是中国战略的一部分，因此我们会看到更多这样的战略。”

China's foreign ministry says it wants good relations with Vietnam, but it also says "there are principles that China cannot abandon" in the face of what it calls Vietnam's "provocative actions."

中国外交部称希望和越南修好，但同时表示在所谓越南“挑衅行动”面前，“中国不愿放弃一些原则”。