VOA标准英语2011--Obama: Poland A Model for New Democracie

Obama: Poland A Model for New Democracies

President Barack Obama, in Warsaw Saturday, praised Poland as an example for aspiring¹ democracies in the Middle East and elsewhere. The president also reassured² Poles about the U.S. commitment to ensuring their security.
President Obama, at a Warsaw news conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk³, said Poland has overcome extraordinary challenges and built a successful democracy. And he said Poland can use its experience to serve as an example for new democracies in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
"Poland can play an extraordinary role, precisely⁴ because they have traveled so far so rapidly over the last 25 years," said the president.
Earlier in the day, Obama and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski met with some of the activists⁵ who brought democracy to Poland to discuss their recent efforts to help Tunisia start a democracy.
President Obama reaffirmed that the United States remains⁶ committed to Poland's security, and that the so-called "reset⁷" in ties with Russia will help calm tensions in the region.
"What we want to do is to create an environment in this region in which peace and security are a given. That is not just good for this region, it is good for the United States of America. And we will always be there for Poland," he said.
The president reassured his Polish hosts that despite Russia's objections, the U.S. will base fighter jets in Poland, and will go ahead with its planned missile defense⁸ system.
"We believe that missile defense is something where we should be cooperating with the Russians, because we share external threats, and this would not be a threat to the strategic balance that Russia is concerned with," he said.
Warsaw was the final stop in Obama's six-day trip to Europe. In Poland, as in Ireland, Britain and France, the president emphasized the importance of U.S.-European relations. "It is fitting that I conclude my trip here in Poland. At each stop I have affirmed the fact that America's transatlantic alliance is the cornerstone of our engagement in the world," he said.
Obama concluded his European tour by paying respects at a memorial to the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others, many of them top government officials, who died in a plane crash in April 2010.

1 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

2 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tusk   

n.獠牙，长牙，象牙

参考例句：

• The wild boar had its tusk sunk deeply into a tree and howled desperately.野猪的獠牙陷在了树里，绝望地嗥叫着。
• A huge tusk decorated the wall of his study.他书房的墙上装饰着一支巨大的象牙。

4 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

5 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》

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

8 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。