VOA常速英语2013--英国武器销售创新高 但面临窘境

Britain's Arms Sales Are Boon¹, but Pose Predicament 英国武器销售创新高 但面临窘境

LONDON — A recent report from the British Parliament says the country has arms sales contracts with six countries it has designated as having poor human rights records - and several others with questionable² records. The document highlights a dilemma³ faced by all arms-exporting countries.

The British news media used strong language to report the story, and graphics⁴ to show where the country’s military equipment is being sold.  

英国新闻媒体使用强硬措辞来报道这一事件,而且配以图表展示该国的军备销售情况。

It seemed embarrassing, but it was not surprising to experts, like War Studies Research Associate Jack⁵ McDonald, of London’s King’s College.

看起来有点尴尬,但这并不令专家们感到意外,比如伦敦金学院战争研究助理杰克·麦克唐纳就是如此。

“The problem that the UK finds itself in is the same one that any arms exporting country finds itself in, which is that the biggest buyers tend to have human rights records that we would consider fall short of our own standards,” said McDonald.

“英国发现自己的问题其实和任何出口武器的国家一样,就是最大的买家往往有我们会考虑低于我们标准的人权记录,”麦克唐纳说道。

In recent months, Western plans for military sales to the Syrian opposition⁶ have gotten a lot of attention, particularly as its militant⁷ elements have grown. Russia has condemned⁸ the plan.  

最近几个月,西方对叙利亚反对派的军事销售计划已经引起多方关注,特别是其激进元素已经增长。俄罗斯已经发表声明谴责该计划。

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “The European Union, in fact, is pouring more fuel on the fire of this conflict and damaging the prospects⁹ for convening¹⁰ a peace conference.”

俄罗斯外交部副部长谢尔盖·雅伯科夫说道:“事实上, 欧盟是在这次冲突上火上浇油并且破坏召集和平会议的前景。”

At the same time, Russian sales of anti-aircraft missiles to the Syrian government have drawn¹¹ criticism from the West, and from Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin during a visit to Moscow. "Israel is expressing a grave concern about prospects of such deliveries. We asked for deliveries to be suspended until the situation stabilizes,” said Elkin.

与此同时,俄罗斯对于叙利亚政府防空导弹的销售已经引来了西方及访问莫斯科期间的以色列副外长泽夫·埃尔金的批评。“以色列表达对于这样交付前景的严重关切。我们要求交付暂停,直到情况趋于稳定,”埃尔金说道。

Meanwhile, China is becoming an ever larger player in the global arms trade and is also being asked to justify¹² its decisions.

与此同时,中国正扮演着全球武器贸易中更大的角色,而且被要求证明其决策。

“On the issue of arms exports, China has always taken a responsible and prudent¹³ attitude, adhering to U.N. Security Council resolutions and international law,” said Hong Lei, Chinese foreign ministry¹⁴ spokesman.

“中国政府在武器出口的问题上历来采取十分慎重的态度,一贯严格遵守联合国安理会决议和国际法。”中国外交部发言人洪磊表示。

The manufacture and sale of military equipment is important to the economies and defense¹⁵ programs of major countries. And officials say exports give them influence in troubled parts of the world. However, McDonald says it’s not that simple.

制造及出售武器对于主要国家的经济和国防项目十分重要。而官员称出口为世界动荡地区造成了影响。然而, 麦克唐纳表示远非这样简单。

“Although selling arms to these countries gives us some leverage¹⁶ with them, I don’t think it’s axiomatic¹⁷ that they’re going to change their human rights records or accept our version of what human rights are,” he said.

“尽管出售武器给这些国家带给我们一些优势,我认为这是不公正的,他们会改变他们的人权记录或者接受我们版本的什么是人权。”他说道。

It’s a delicate balance to strike, with countless¹⁸ lives and the future of nations at stake, leaving arms-selling countries in a permanent quandary¹⁹ and under criticism for virtually any decision they make. 

这是一种微妙的平衡,随着无数的生命和国家的未来岌岌可危,销售武器的国家面临永久的窘境和他们实际上做出任何决定的批评。

1 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

2 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

3 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

4 graphics   

n.制图法，制图学；图形显示

参考例句：

• You've leveraged your graphics experience into the video area.你们把图形设计业务的经验运用到录像业务中去。
• Improved graphics took computer games into a new era.经改进的制图技术将电脑游戏带进了一个新时代。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

10 convening   

召开( convene的现在分词 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 民10:7但招聚会众的时候、们要吹号、不要吹出大声。
• We warmly welcome the convening of Asia-Europe meeting in London. 热烈欢迎亚欧会议在伦敦召开。

11 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

13 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

14 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

15 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。

16 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

17 axiomatic   

adj.不需证明的，不言自明的

参考例句：

• It is axiomatic that life is not always easy.生活并不总是一帆风顺，这是明摆着的事实。
• It is axiomatic that as people grow older they generally become less agile.人年纪越大通常灵活性越差，这是不言而喻的。

18 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

19 quandary   

n.困惑，进迟两难之境

参考例句：

• I was in a quandary about whether to go.我当时正犹豫到底去不去。
• I was put in a great quandary.我陷于进退两难的窘境。