美国国家公共电台 NPR--Shinzo Abe brought transformation to Japan that will last for generations

Shinzo Abe brought transformation¹ to Japan that will last for generations

Transcript²

A Martinez speaks with Michael Green, formerly³ Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's legacy⁴.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Michael Green is with us now. He's the former senior vice⁵ president for Asia and Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and as a staffer on the National Security Council under George W. Bush, he spoke⁶ frequently and worked frequently with Abe. Michael, welcome. You knew him personally. What was he like?

MICHAEL GREEN: Well, he was, as Anthony just said, a very consequential⁷ - I would argue the most consequential modern Japanese leader. He had a clear vision for Japan, one that both President Trump⁸ and President Biden adopted - the idea of the Quad⁹ summit with the leaders of India, Japan, Australia and the U.S. was Abe's idea, for example. On a personal level, he was a very warm person, very loyal to his friends, pretty hard on his enemies. He had an ideological¹⁰ edge. But those who knew him - world leaders, scholars, journalists - considered him a very warm and loyal person.

MART?NEZ: Yeah, most of us just see world leaders when they're making a speech or on television. We don't know what they're like out - off the podium, so to speak.

GREEN: That's right. And, you know, Abe's coterie¹¹, his supporters, were very loyal to him. He established when he was prime minister - the longest-serving Japanese prime minister ever - what you might call an American presidential style of leadership. He created his own National Security Council, like the American White House. He really put in place a top-down leadership style that was new for Japan. And he was able to do it because across the bureaucracy and in politics, he engendered¹² real loyalty¹³ and real adherence¹⁴ to his vision. As he put it at CSIS 10 years ago, Japan is back, and his vision of putting Japan on the map geopolitically continues to be the mainstream¹⁵ view in Japan.

MART?NEZ: And how much of that, what you just mentioned, might be part of his legacy?

GREEN: I think his legacy is profound. There is no major political figure in Japan arguing for a different direction, other than tactical changes, from what Abe put in place when he was prime minister. And at a time when the United States, frankly¹⁶, was a little bit unsure in our own footing - when President Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership¹⁷, this major trade pact¹⁸ in Asia, Abe stepped in and kept it going and urged the U.S. to return. When the Trump administration was fighting with Europe at the G-7 summits, Abe was the peacemaker, bringing European, Canadian, American leaders together. He really stepped up to reinforce the international order, the liberal order that America helped to build, as China and Russia asserted themselves and as the U.S. was a little uncertain in its footing. And I think those who were in both the Trump and Biden administrations who worked with Abe's government will very much appreciate and remember that right now.

MART?NEZ: And one more thing at 30 seconds left, Michael, how would you say he transformed Japanese domestic politics?

GREEN: Well, his grandfather was prime minister and had a similar vision for Japan 60 years ago and was pushed out. Japan wasn't ready. But now Abe's vision of a Japan that stands up, that does more to defend itself, is the mainstream vision, and it's going to be for a generation.

MART?NEZ: Michael Green, currently CEO of the U.S. Studies Center at the University of Sydney - Michael, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

GREEN: Thank you.

1 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 consequential   

adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的

参考例句：

• She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。
• This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 quad   

n.四方院；四胞胎之一；v.在…填补空铅

参考例句：

• His rooms were on the left-hand side of the quad.他的房间位于四方院的左侧。
• She is a 34-year-old mother of quads.她是个生了四胞胎的34岁的母亲。

10 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

11 coterie   

n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子

参考例句：

• The name is known to only a small coterie of collectors.这个名字只有收藏家的小圈子才知道。
• Mary and her coterie gave a party to which we were not invited.玛利和她的圈内朋友举行派对，我们没被邀请。

12 engendered   

v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The issue engendered controversy. 这个问题引起了争论。
• The meeting engendered several quarrels. 这次会议发生了几次争吵。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

14 adherence   

n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着

参考例句：

• He was well known for his adherence to the rules.他因遵循这些规定而出名。
• The teacher demanded adherence to the rules.老师要求学生们遵守纪律。

15 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

16 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

17 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

18 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。