VOA标准英语2013--Trade Tops US, China Talks Wednesday

 

Trade Tops US, China Talks Wednesday

Chinese officials say an unexpected drop in trade, both imports and exports, reflects rising labor¹ costs and weak overseas demand -- key concerns for the world's two largest economies as their foreign and finance ministers meet in Washington.

U.S. Vice² President Joe Biden, who opened Wednesday's talks, said the US-China relationship is crucial.  

"The stakes are very high because it's fair to say that the dynamic that emerges between our nations will affect not just our peoples, but quite frankly³ have a significant impact on the entire world," Biden noted⁴.

Two way trade was nearly $500 billion last year.  And the economic relationship between the United States and China benefits not only their citizens but also serves worldwide peace and development, said Chinese Vice Premier⁵ Wang Yang. 

"We need to raise our strategic mutual⁶ trust to new heights through dialogue," Wang said. "Trust starts with communication and exchanges. The more communication and exchanges we have the less misunderstanding and disagreement."

Stopping cyber theft of U.S. intellectual property is one area where there needs to be more progress, said Vice President Biden.  

And even though Bejing's new government has moved to curb⁷ corruption⁸ and adjust currency rates, it risks further slowing growth if it does not remove obstacles to fair foreign competition, said U.S. business leader Calman Cohen. 

"As China continues to make it far more difficult to compete with their national champions, who they provide special benefits to, I believe that companies around the world are going to not put all their eggs in the China basket," Cohen said.

China's more assertive⁹ foreign policy, especially its contested claims on nearly all of the South China Sea, is also a concern for Washington. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia are contesting those claims.

According to Michael Auslin at the American Enterprise Institute, the United States can help China resolve the dispute without threatening its sovereignty.

"I think it is really trying to express that when you're a country as large as China, so that you have multiple geographic¹⁰ fronts on which you must operate and in which you have interests, that you have to think very carefully about your approach in total as well as separately," Auslin said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said these annual talks are a chance for honest, wide-ranging conversations about agreements and differences.

"We will never agree on everything, and we will have candid¹¹ conversations about those issues where we don't see eye to eye because that is absolutely the best way to constructively¹² manage our differences and increase understanding," Kerry said.

The talks also include issues around climate change and cyber-security.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 assertive   

adj.果断的，自信的，有冲劲的

参考例句：

• She always speaks an assertive tone.她总是以果断的语气说话。
• China appears to have become more assertive in the waters off its coastline over recent years.在近些年，中国显示出对远方海洋的自信。

10 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

12 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。