VOA标准英语2010年-Australia Prepares for Obama Visit

President Obama is scheduled to visit Australia this month following a trip to Indonesia. In Australia he will be among friends and will be the guest of a center-left government that shares many of the president's policies on Afghanistan and climate change.  Foreign policy analysts², however, say the emergence³ of China has the potential to disrupt the long-standing U.S.-Australia alliance.

The last time an American president visited Australia, large numbers of protesters angry at the war in Iraq rallied in Sydney when President George W. Bush attended an Asia-Pacific economic conference.

Demonstrators are again planning to march in several Australian cities during President Barack Obama's visit next week, although the protests are expected to be far smaller.

Foreign policy analysts say Mr. Obama's trip is mainly about maintaining the alliance - or dropping in on friends. He is to address Australia's federal Parliament in Canberra, only the sixth world leader to do so.

Washington and Canberra signed a formal security pact⁴ in the early 1950s, in which the Americans agreed to defend Australia in the event of an attack.

Brendon O'Connor, an associate professor at the U.S. Studies Center at the University of Sydney, thinks many Australians trust that President Obama will make the relationship even stronger.

"Australians supported Obama over McCain at a higher rate than nearly any country in the world," said O'Connor. "There were some polls done on this and I think this is quite remarkable⁵ and you might say 'well, why was this the case?' and I think it was the case that Australia wants to have this very strong security relationship with the United States and stuck with it during the Bush administration, particularly our prime minister [John Howard] but it wanted to see a different face on that leadership and I think the face of Obama was comforting to Australians. They realized this is a very long-standing and on-going relationship."

For nearly 70 years, the two countries have been close allies. In recent times, Canberra has given strong support to the U.S.-led military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, despite public misgivings⁶.

Tom Switzer, a political analyst¹ and the editor of The Spectator Australia commentary magazine, says this cozy⁷ relationship could be tested by the emergence of China. He says the United States sees China as a potential threat but Australia views it as a vital economic partner.

"The rise of China means different things for the United States and Australia," said Switzer. "For the United States, its emergence potentially means the rise of a great power rival. But for Australia, it increasingly means a very strong trading relationship and indeed one of the reasons why Australia is weathering the financial storm is because of China's insatiable lust⁸ for our raw materials and resources and I think that in years to come with China's rise there could be a bit of friction⁹ there between Washington and Canberra."   

President Obama will discuss a range of matters during his Australian trip, including security and intelligence matters as well as the global economic recovery.

Anti-war activists¹⁰ in Australia are planning several demonstrations¹¹ during the visit. But, while former President Bush's presence at the summit in Sydney was a catalyst¹² for great public protest, Mr. Obama's trip is less contentious¹³.

Still, Pip Hinman, from Sydney's Stop The War Coalition¹⁴, says the president's failure to scale back the conflict in Afghanistan contributed to a general sense of disappointment in the Obama presidency¹⁵.

"There was a huge surge of hope in the election of President Barack Obama and I think you can see now that those hopes have been dashed to a large extent. So, it is not just the global financial crisis and his bailing¹⁶ out of the banks, the actual cause of this financial crisis, the housing foreclosures, the job losses - all of that has lead to this huge disappointment. It is the fact also that he has stepped up the war [in Afghanistan]," said Pip Hinman.

Among Australian citizens, the president's visit prompts a range of opinions about the alliance with the United States.

"The Australian government tends to look upon America as the Supreme¹⁷ Being and want to be on their side," said an older man.

One woman says she opposed the American-led fight in Iraq.

"Nobody wants to send people to war. I think Iraq was wrong, I don't think we should have gone in there. I think that was wrong. Afghanistan is different. Afghanistan - fair enough. Go there but not Iraq," she said.

Other Australians think the alliance is worth celebrating.

"Very good. Why? I just think because of the Second World War. If it was not for the Americans, I think we would be Japanese-owned here," says a man. 

President Obama will visit his childhood home in Indonesia before traveling to Australia later this month.
 

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

4 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

8 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

9 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

12 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

13 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

14 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

15 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

16 bailing   

（凿井时用吊桶）排水

参考例句：

• Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. 两个人的口水只管喷泉似地朝外涌，两个抽水机全力以赴往外抽水。
• The mechanical sand-bailing technology makes sand-washing operation more efficient. 介绍了机械捞砂的结构装置及工作原理，提出了现场操作注意事项。

17 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。