VOA常速英语2013--美国打击叙利亚可能带来的影响

 

How Would US Attack on Syria Affect Washington's Asia Pivot¹? 美国打击叙利亚可能带来的影响

STATE DEPARTMENT — 

What does a possible U.S. attack on Syria mean for the Obama administration's pivot to Asia, which Washington is presenting as part of its disengagement from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?  

美国政府对叙利亚动武对奥巴马政府在亚太地区的支点作用意味着什么，华盛顿正准备从伊拉克和阿富汗撤兵。

Preparations for a possible U.S. attack on Syria were part of Defense² Secretary Chuck Hagel's talks with Asian allies in Brunei. 

美国对叙利亚是否动武的准备是国防部秘书长Chuck Hagel同同盟国文莱会谈内容的一部分。

"I think it was made clear by President Obama, and I have said it on a number of occasions, that if any action would be taken against Syria it would be an international collaboration," he said.

“我觉得奥巴马已经表明了观点，而且我也在许多场合申明了这一点。如果要对叙利亚采取行动，这将会是一次国际合作。”

Hagel meeting with Asian defense ministers amid U.S. preparations for attacking Syria is an important sign for the region, according to Asia analyst³ Patrick Cronin. 

Hagel在美国会见了亚洲国防秘书长。进攻叙利亚的准备工作对该地区是一个重要的标志。

"These are countries that really look to the United States, not just for economic influence but ultimately for the security insurance," Cronin said. "And for the United States not to show up at a meeting like this, not to take a trip that has long been planned, would send the completely wrong signal."

“有许多国家依赖美国，不仅仅是因为经济的影响力，根本上是对美国国防安全的依赖。”Cronin说，“美国将不会以这种姿态出席会议，没有经过长期的计划，将会传递错误的信号。”

But what does it mean for the Obama administration's so-called Asia Pivot of military, diplomatic, and commercial resources to the region? 

但这对奥巴马政府所谓的外交和贸易资源地——亚太军事枢纽意味着什么，

"Syria is knocking Obama off his Asian mojo," said Asia analyst Michael Auslin of the American Enterprise Institute. "Not because Syria is that significant but because it is a perfect encapsulation of the problem of saying we are choosing between regions and yet not really being able to and then leaving the area that you said you were going to focus on somewhat in the lurch⁴."

“叙利亚是在破坏奥巴马在亚洲的运气，”美国企业研究所的亚洲分析家Michael Auslin说，“不是因为叙利亚重要而是因为它是我们在区域选择问题上的一个极好的包装，而不是真的不可以放弃你们将要关注的不太平的地区”

With China boosting patrols in disputed waters of the South China Sea, Asian allies are looking for a more robust⁵ U.S. military presence at a time when Washington is again focusing on conflict in the Middle East.

随着中国扩大有争议的南海地区的巡逻，亚太联盟期盼有一个更加坚定的美军每次都能够出面，尽管华盛顿又再一次聚焦中东问题。

"The very fact that you are now consumed with figuring out how to deal with Syria means that beyond the rhetoric⁶ of you showing up at these meetings," noted⁷ Auslin, "are you really able to commit resources to both parts of the globe?"

事实上，你现在弄清楚如何处理叙利亚问题意味着你在这些会议上的表现要超越语言的表述。”Auslin强调说，“你真的可以同时涉足两个地区的问贵吗？”

Resources for the Asia Pivot were to come from U.S. drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan. But budget cuts have slowed that redeployment even before the military build-up off Syria, says Asia analyst Doug Bandow.

为亚洲枢纽提供的来自美国的资源在伊拉克和阿富汗方面的供应下降了。但是预算的调整在打算对叙利亚动武之前就已经削减了。，亚洲分析家Doug说

"What we are seeing with Syria now shows how hard it is for the U.S. to maintain this kind of global presence at a time of shrinking resources. And that's going to affect everything," explained Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute. 

“我们就叙利亚问题所见到的是美国要在同时保持现状是非常困难的。这会改变一切的”加图研究基构的Doug解释说

Bandow said the United States as a Pacific power does not outweigh⁸ long-standing U.S. security interests in the Middle East.

Bandow说，作为一个强大的和平力量，美国不会长时间的关注中东问题的。

"America has alliances in the Middle East. We still have concern about oil in the Middle East, human rights issues in the Middle East," he said. "It's very hard for the administration to pull away from that. So the Asians need to look at this and realize, as that drawdown happens, they shouldn't expect to be exempt⁹."

“美国在中东地区有同盟，我们依旧关心中东的石油和人权问题”他说，“要想让美国远离那些利益是很困难的，所以亚洲国家需要关注并意识到这些，因为美国从伊和阿富汗撤军，他们不应该期望置身事外。”

China is warning against a military response to Syrian chemical weapons attacks.

中国反正就叙利亚使用化学武器问题采取军事行动，

"The only way out of the Syrian issue is a political resolution," stressed an anchor on China State Television. "So all parties ought to cautiously handle the Syrian chemical weapons issue to avoid interfering¹⁰ in efforts to resolve the Syrian issue politically."

“解决叙利亚问题的唯一途径应该通过政治协商”一个中国电视台的节目主持人强调说，因此，所有的党派都应该谨慎处理叙利亚问题，避免妨碍通过政治手段解决叙利亚问题。

Though China has in the past joined Russia in vetoing a tougher U.N. approach to Syria, U.S. officials say Moscow rather than Beijing is leading opposition¹¹ to Security Council action against Syria.

尽管中国过去和俄罗斯一些否决联合国对叙利亚采取强硬手段，美国官方称相比北京，莫斯科才是反对联合国安理会对叙利亚采取军事行动的主导。

1 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

2 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。

3 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。

4 lurch   

n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行

参考例句：

• It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
• He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。

5 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

6 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

7 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。

8 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

9 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

10 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

11 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。