VOA标准英语2014--俄罗斯的行动为北约提供了新任务

 

Russian Moves Provide New Mission for NATO 俄罗斯的行动为北约提供了新任务

LONDON—

Russia’s more aggressive military posture¹ in Europe during the past year has pushed NATO to take new steps to strengthen its defenses, providing it, analysts³ say, with a much-needed new mission.

The change in NATO-Russia relations grew out of protests in Ukraine that led to the ouster of the country’s pro-Russian president.  Russia sent operatives and troops into Ukraine’s Crimea region and forcibly annexed⁴ it.  Then Russia backed separatists in two eastern Ukraine regions, causing a months-long war that is still going on.

Meanwhile, Russian warplanes and ships conducted a series of close encounters with NATO members and other Western countries, with Moscow taking stealthy and aggressive actions not seen since the Cold War.

Nick Witney, a former British and European Union defense² official, now with the European Council on Foreign Relations, says Russia’s posturing⁵ has breathed new life into an old alliance.

“I think NATO leaders should raise a glass to Vladimir Putin as the year draws to an end,” he said, adding the alliance needed a challenge. “A healthy NATO needs a Russian threat, and Mr. Putin has been foolish enough to supply one, in spades.”

Witney says the Russian president’s actions have “galvanized” NATO, inspiring a series of steps.  They include more exercises like this one in western Ukraine, the stationing of more troops in Poland and the Baltic states, a reaffirmation that it will defend all its members and the creation of a new rapid reaction force.

At London’s Royal United Services Institute, Malcolm Chalmers says President Putin wanted to roll back gains made by NATO since 1990, but his actions have had the opposite effect.

“Russia is looking for weakness. They’re looking for gaps in NATO’s armor," he said. "They’re looking for divisions in NATO. And, certainly, NATO member states believe that through solidarity⁶ with each other they’re more likely to deter⁷ any Russian moves.”

Significantly, Chalmers says Putin has alienated⁸ his former best friend in Western Europe, German Chancellor⁹ Angela Merkel.

“Chancellor Merkel, throughout this crisis, has gone further than any other Western leader to try and find a diplomatic way through," he said. "Merkel was looking for some sort of compromise. And Putin certainly hasn’t, so far at least, been prepared to settle.”

Meanwhile, NATO members and other countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia, which, combined with a drop in the price of its major export, oil, have caused a 50 percent fall in the value of the ruble.

Experts, Witney among them, say the Russian economy will slide into a deep recession next year.

“These are big strategic reverses for Putin. So, if he is meant to be a ‘chess grandmaster,’ the game has gone horribly wrong for him at the moment,” he said.

That doesn’t mean Putin will back down; indeed some experts say the problems could make him more hostile.  But late in the year, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia’s position on eastern Ukraine was beginning to change.  Kerry said Russia had “made constructive¹⁰ moves” that could open the path to resolving the conflict and easing tensions.

1 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

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 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。

4 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

5 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

6 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

7 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

8 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

10 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。