VOA常速英语2015--2015年的美国外交政策看点

 

US Foreign Policy: What to Watch in 2015 2015年的美国外交政策看点

WASHINGTON—

2015 is here, and with a new year comes new challenges - and some old ones. Last year left the United States with a lot of unfinished business around the world. President Barack Obama's top foreign policy challenges as he enters his final two years in the White House will be varied¹ and require careful coordination² between many stakeholders.

In December, President Obama marked the end of America's longest war.

去年12月，奥巴马总统宣布美国历时最久的战争结束。

But Pentagon officials say the dawn of 2015 does not mean the end of U.S. assistance.

但五角大楼官员称2015年的开始并不意味着美国援助的结束。

"It’s not like on December 31 we’re just going to walk away. We aren’t. We are going to remain," said Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby.

“并不是说在12月31日我们就要撤离，我们不会的，我们会留下的。”

Air support, training and counterterrorism are all on the agenda for the more than 10,000 U.S. troops staying in Afghanistan this year.

对于今年留在阿富汗的一万名美军来说，空军支持、培训和反恐仍是其议程的内容。

It's help Afghan forces need, as the year saw a rise in Taliban attacks.

由于去年塔利班袭击增多，美军需要帮助阿富汗军队。

The U.S. will also fight terrorism in the form of Islamic State militants³. The group surged into the public consciousness in 2014, with its rapid takeover of large parts of Iraq and Syria and its brutal⁴ beheadings of Westerners.

美国还将打击IS武装分子这样的恐怖主义，该组织2014年冲进人们的意识中，很快占领了伊拉克和叙利亚大片地区，残忍砍掉西方人士的头颅。

Airstrikes against the group appear to be working, with analysts⁵ predicting continued gains.

针对该组织的空袭似乎有效，分析家预测还会有更多进展。

 “I think Iraq, between the Kurdish army and the national army based in Baghdad, with strong U.S. support, will make progress in 2015,” said Paul Salem, of the Middle East Institute.

“我想伊拉克的库尔德部队和总部在巴格达的国家军队，在美国的大力支持下，将在2015年取得进展。”

Also in need of progress are the efforts of the U.S. and five other world powers to reach a nuclear deal with Iran. Negotiators are now aiming for July, after a November deadline passed without agreement.

同时，美国和另外5个大国在努力与伊朗达成核协议，这方面也需要取得进展。11月的最后期限未能达成任何协议，因此协商者目前着眼于7月份。

“These talks are not going to suddenly get easier just because we extend them. They're tough. And they have been tough. And they are going to stay tough,” said Secretary of State John Kerry.

“这些谈判不会因为我们往后推迟而突然变得容易，还是很艰难的，一直都很艰难，未来还会很艰难的。”

And the new Republican-controlled U.S. Congress could complicate⁶ things even more, say analysts.

分析家称，共和党控制的美国新国会可能会使情况变得更加糟糕。

“Members of Congress are anxious to impose additional sanctions. That could have a disruptive effect,” said the Brookings Institution’s Robert Einhorn.

“国会议员迫切想施加更多制裁，这可能会导致破坏性的效果。”

Russia is the source of even more sanctions tensions. Those the U.S. has imposed for Russian support of Ukrainian separatists have helped send Russia's currency and economy into a nosedive. But the Ukraine conflict is a dispute U.S. officials are determined⁷ to overcome.

俄罗斯可能是更多制裁紧张的源头，因为俄罗斯支持乌克兰分裂分子，美国对其施加了制裁，这些制裁措施已经导致俄罗斯货币和经济暴跌。但乌克兰冲突是美国官员决意要解决的争端。

“No one is giving up on the U.S. - Russia relationship. We have to get it to a better place,” said Eric Rubin, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs.

“没有人会在美俄关系上放弃什么，我们必须将之处理好。”

The U.S. says Russia could get sanctions relief by withdrawing all troops from Ukrainian territory, among other conditions.

美国称俄罗斯如果从乌克兰领土撤出所有部队，并接受其他条件，那么就会减轻对其的制裁。

And not to be forgotten is North Korea. U.S. investigators⁸ traced the November cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment to the isolated⁹ nation. In response, President Obama made new sanctions against North Korea his first foreign policy move of the New Year. 

另外不要忘了朝鲜，美国调查者将11月索尼影业娱乐公司的网络袭击归咎于这个封闭的国家。作为应对措施，奥巴马总统将对朝鲜施加新制裁作为其新年第一个外交政策举动。

1 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

2 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

5 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。

6 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。