Clinton Backs Gates on NATO Burden-Sharing

     U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is backing Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates' warning to the NATO alliance that all member states must pay their fair share and participate in their own defense. Secretary Clinton took part in a forum² on U.S. trade preferences.

    In his last major policy speech as defense secretary, Gates warned of a dwindling³ appetite（食欲胃口） among U.S. lawmakers to subsidize NATO members who, he says, “are apparently⁴ unwilling⁵ to devote the necessary resources or make the necessary changes to be serious and capable partners in their own defense.”

    In Libya, for example, Gates says all 28 NATO members voted for the mission against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but fewer than a third are taking part in those strikes. He says it is not that most of those members are unwilling, but that they no longer have the resources.

    Clinton says Gates' remarks underscore how NATO must never be complacent（自满的）. “We all have to step up and share the burdens that we face in responding to 21st century threats. And many members are doing just that. Every country in the alliance, including of course our own, is under financial pressure. We are being asked to cut spending on national security at a time when we are living in an increasingly unpredictable world,” she said.

    Clinton said she fully⁶ agrees with the defense secretary that all nations bear the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their citizens, which requires an adequate investment in defense.

    “As the events in the Middle East and North Africa have shown, we cannot predict where threats will occur and we have to be ready, willing, and able to work together,” said the secretary of state.

    Clinton says the 60-year-old transatlantic alliance has always come together to make the tough decisions, and she believes that is not going to change.

    Gates says the risk is that future generations of U.S. politicians who were not shaped by the Cold War may not consider the return on America's investment in NATO worth its cost.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 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。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。