VOA慢速英语2015 奥巴马出访旨在加强美印关系

 

Obama Visit Aims to Increase US-India Partnership¹ 奥巴马出访旨在加强美印关系

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.                                

This weekend, President Barack Obama is set to make his second trip to India since taking office. The president will attend India’s Republic Day celebrations on Monday. The event includes a military parade and a public showing of Indian weaponry. Experts say the parade may be symbolic² of Mr. Obama’s visit.

The American leader is to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They are expected to discuss increasing defense³ and security ties between the two countries.

Defense and trade cooperation between the two has been increasing in recent years. In 2013, the United States overtook Russia as the largest arms supplier to India, which has spent billions of dollars to modernize⁴ its armed forces. India takes part in more joint⁵ military exercises with U.S. forces than any other country.

Some observers say Mr. Modi wants to build an even stronger relationship with the United States. C. Raja Mohan works at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. He expects the two sides to begin work on what he calls “a genuine strategic partnership” with far-reaching agreements.

“You have now a government here in Delhi that is prepared to walk the full distance with the U.S., and the U.S., too, I think, has sensed the new opportunity in India.”

During Mr. Obama’s visit, Indian and U.S. officials are expected to re-state support for a defense cooperation agreement that ends this June. They have also been working to finalize⁶ agreements that could lead to U.S. companies producing some military equipment in India.

The Indian government wants American companies to produce more weapons at home under what are known as technology transfer agreements. But that would not be easy. The United States has many rules on limiting movement of sensitive technology.

Bharat Karnad is a security expert at New Delhi’s Center for Policy Research. He does not expect major outcomes from Mr. Obama’s visit. He thinks India will not be satisfied with what the U.S. offers on technology transfers of military equipment.

"As I see it, it is going to be more platitudes⁸, more instruments being created, more committees being set up, but nothing really there on the ground, in terms of both countries being satisfied with something substantive⁹ and hefty."

Experts say it will take time for the two countries to build trust in some areas. But they are moving closer because of security issues.    

Chintamani Mahapatra is with New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. He says both sides are concerned about signs of a more aggressive China and possible unrest in Afghanistan after withdrawal¹⁰ of Western troops.

“Indians and Americans have been quarrelling over economic issues, IPR (intellectual property rights) issues, dumping issues, etc., etc., and, of course, on critical areas of foreign affairs, like Pakistan and Iran and China, the two countries do not agree 100 percent. But in matters of defense and security cooperation, there is hardly any dispute. The idea is to have a good, positive win-win balance of power in Asia.”

During his first visit to India in 2010, President Obama told Indian lawmakers that the relationship between the two countries will be the "defining partnership of the 21st century." There is hope that this visit will re-energize that partnership.

Words in this Story:

symbolic – adj. expressing or representing an idea or quality without using words

overtake – v. to move up to and past (someone or something that is in front of you) by moving faster

strategic – adj. relating to a general plan that is created to achieve a goal in war, politics, etc., usually over a long period of time

surveillance – n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime

platitude⁷ – n. a statement that expresses an idea that is not new

substantive – adj. important, real, or meaningful

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

7 platitude   

n.老生常谈，陈词滥调

参考例句：

• The talk is no more than a platitude. 这番话无非是老生常谈。
• His speech is full of platitude. 他的讲话充满了陈词滥调。

8 platitudes   

n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子

参考例句：

• He was mouthing the usual platitudes about the need for more compassion. 他言不由衷地说了些需要更加同情之类的陈腔滥调。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He delivered a long prose full of platitudes. 他发表了一篇充满陈词滥调的文章。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。