VOA常速英语2020--加强美国与哥伦比亚的关系

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.

以下是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。

The U.S.-Colombia relationship is “vital” to the “Western Hemisphere and its security and the freedom of all peoples in the region,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a recent visit to Colombia. Colombia has played a critical role in caring for refugees from Venezuela during the difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Your support of Interim¹ President Juan Guaido and a democratic transition for a sovereign Venezuela free of malign² influence from Cuba, from Russia, from Iran, is incredibly valued,” stated Secretary Pompeo. The Colombian people desire a lasting³ and just peace in their nation. “The violence on the part of FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) dissidents, the ELN (National Liberation Army), or any other terrorist or criminal group is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated, nor can the actions of regimes like Maduro’s, which provide safe haven⁴, aid and indeed comfort to those terrorists,” said Secretary Pompeo.

美国与哥伦比亚之间的关系对“西半球及其安全以及当地所有人民的自由”来说“至关重要”，美国国务卿蓬佩奥最近访问哥伦比亚时表示。在新冠肺炎疫情肆虐的艰难时期，哥伦比亚在救助委内瑞拉难民方面发挥了关键的作用。“你们对临时总统胡安·瓜伊多所提供的支持，对实现委内瑞拉主权不受古巴、俄罗斯和伊朗恶意影响的民主过渡所提供的支持都极为宝贵。”国务卿蓬佩奥表示。哥伦比亚人民渴望国家实现持久与公正的和平。“哥伦比亚革命武装力量的异见者、哥伦比亚民族解放军或其他恐怖分子或犯罪团体的暴力行为都是不可接受、不能容忍的，马杜罗等政权向这些恐怖分子提供安全庇护、援助和支持的行为也同样是不可接受和不能容忍的。”国务卿蓬佩奥表示。

Colombia has demonstrated leadership on confronting the dangers posed by Hezbollah by designating it as a foreign terrorist organization. Such designations give governments the power to arrest members, freeze their assets, restrict their freedom of movement, and to make it harder to plot and carry out terrorist attacks. “Putting maximum pressure on Iran and its Hezbollah proxies⁵ is essential to peace and security for free peoples everywhere,” emphasized Secretary Pompeo. The United States and Colombia are also united in their fight against illegal narcotics⁶, said Secretary Pompeo: “Colombian law enforcement, even in these difficult times, has stepped up cocaine⁷ interdiction⁸ and eradication⁹. You manually cleared 57 percent more coca fields in 2019 than in the year prior, 2018.The U.S. is here to help by sharing resources, expertise¹⁰, and we applaud the work that you have done.” The United States is Colombia’s largest trading partner, accounting¹¹ for 34 percent of Colombia’s total trade. The U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion¹² Agreement aims to improve the investment environment, eliminate tariffs¹³ and other barriers to U.S. exports, expand trade, and promote economic growth for both countries.Secretary Pompeo announced that the U.S. will expand its private sector¹⁴ investment in rural Colombia, including through the U.S. Development Finance Corporation. He said, “We want to make sure there is a solution, an alternative to coca crops.” Secretary Pompeo confirmed that “the U.S. and Colombia are powerful forces for good in the Americas.”

哥伦比亚将真主党指定为海外恐怖组织，在对抗真主党构成的危险方面表现出了引领作用。这种指定让政府有权逮捕真主党成员、冻结他们的资产、限制他们的行动自由，并使他们策划和进行恐怖袭击更加困难。国务卿蓬佩奥强调说，“对伊朗及其真主党代理人的极限施压，对世界各地自由人民的和平与安全至关重要。”国务卿蓬佩奥表示，美国与哥伦比亚还联手打击非法毒品走私。“即使是在艰难时期，哥伦比亚执法部门依然加强拦截可卡因走私并铲除可卡因生产。你们2019年人工铲除的古柯田比2018年扩大了57%。美国将在这里通过分享资源和专业知识来提供帮助。我们赞扬你们的工作。”美国是哥伦比亚最大的贸易伙伴，两国贸易占哥伦比亚贸易总额的34%。“美国-哥伦比亚贸易促进协议”旨在改善投资环境，消除美国出口的关税和其它壁垒，扩大贸易，推动两国的经济增长。国务卿蓬佩奥宣布，美国将扩大私人企业对哥伦比亚农村地区的投资，包括通过美国国际开发金融公司进行投资。蓬佩奥表示，“我们希望确保能够找到古柯作物的替代解决方法。”国务卿蓬佩奥证实，“美国与哥伦比亚是美洲地区两股强大的优质力量。”

That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.

这是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

3 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

4 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

5 proxies   

n.代表权( proxy的名词复数 )；（测算用的）代替物；（对代理人的）委托书；（英国国教教区献给主教等的）巡游费

参考例句：

• SOCKS and proxies are unavailable. Try connecting to XX again? socks和代理不可用。尝试重新连接到XX吗？ 来自互联网
• All proxies are still down. Continue with direct connections? 所有的代理仍然有故障。继续直接连接吗？ 来自互联网

6 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

8 interdiction   

n.禁止；封锁

参考例句：

• the Customs Service's drug interdiction programs 海关的毒品查禁方案
• In addition to patrol duty, blastboats are dispatched for planetary defense and interdiction missions. 除了例行巡逻，炮艇还被赋予行星防御和封锁的任务。

9 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

10 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

11 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

12 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

13 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

14 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。