美国国家公共电台 NPR--Shinzo Abe's political party sees a big win in Japan's election

Shinzo Abe's political party sees a big win in Japan's election

Transcript¹

Steve Inskeep talks to Sheila Smith, senior fellow in Asia-Pacific Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, about what's next after the party previously² led by Shinzo Abe won Japan's election.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Japanese voters will keep the government they have. In national elections, they gave victory to the Liberal Democratic Party and its allies. That is the party of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated³ on Friday. So what does this result mean for the world's third largest economy and a vital U.S. ally? Sheila Smith joins us next, a senior fellow for Asia Pacific studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Welcome to the program.

SHEILA SMITH: Thank you.

INSKEEP: Was this election result any different than what you would have expected before the assassination⁴?

SMITH: No, Steve. In fact, it was pretty much what everybody was looking for. The LDP, the ruling party, has a fairly strong structural⁵ advantage. They came out with a few seats ahead of where they were last time. So about - they picked up about eight seats. So they came out with about 63 of the upper house seats that were up for grabs. So with their coalition⁶ partner, then about 60% of the seats went to the ruling coalition.

INSKEEP: Sixty percent.

SMITH: That's right.

INSKEEP: And I guess we should just be clear. This means they can do anything they want. Is that right?

SMITH: Well, this is the upper house, and this is important for your listeners. This is not an election that would have changed the government. But it certainly gives the prime minister, Prime Minister Kishida, a really good bounce, and it puts him in a very good position to move forward with his policy goals.

INSKEEP: Which would be what?

SMITH: Well, you know, he came out after the election, of course, with the shock of the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe. It's a very sort of muted mood - you know, not a celebratory mood at all within the party. But he came out very clearly and said, the economy, the economy, the economy is first in my priorities. So the Japanese people, like people everywhere, are looking at inflation. They're looking at the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the global economy and its unpredictable impact on food and energy prices. And, of course, they're looking at the coronavirus still. So he's going to be very laserlike focused on the economy. But beyond that, there's a fairly significant series of policy initiatives coming down the pike in the fall on security policy. So Japan will redo its national security strategy. It'll have a new ten-year defense⁷ plan. And as you may know, the prime minister has basically said that he's going to raise defense spending - something that Prime Minister Abe also supported.

INSKEEP: And Prime Minister Abe wanted to change the constitution to remove some limits on Japanese forces. And I just want to explain for people why this matters to Americans. We have a vital U.S. ally. There are U.S. bases there. The U.S. is increasingly confronting China, next door to Japan. How does all of that affect Japan?

SMITH: So I think the real push here, again, started, as you noted⁸, by prime minister - former Prime Minister Abe and continued by current Prime Minister Kishida is to really invest more in military capabilities⁹ by the Japanese forces themselves, you know, to make Japan's self-defense force a little bit more robust¹⁰, let's say. There is also an idea on the table that Japan - the time has come for Japan perhaps to develop counter strike capability¹¹, which means conventional forces, not nuclear, but conventional forces that might allow them to reach out and touch neighbors in order to deter¹², as you said, China and also North Korea. So there are some pretty big defense items on the agenda later this year.

INSKEEP: Is this what Americans want Japan to be doing?

SMITH: I think so. I think, you know, very clearly the United States has wanted Japan to keep pace with the changing environment. North Korea has missile capabilities - have put Japan, you know, under the sights of Pyongyang, if they chose. But also, China's power across the region has upset many in the region - not only Japan, but others as well. So maritime¹³ security is a focal point for the United States and Japan and Australia and India. So there's a lot on the docket here in Northeast Asia specifically, but also across the Indo-Pacific.

INSKEEP: Can I ask one broad question before I let you go? We're at this moment where people are worried about democracy in the United States. We have a U.S. ally that is confronting China - or helping¹⁴ to confront China in some way. They just had an election, but also just had an assassination. Broadly speaking, is democracy working in Japan?

SMITH: Japan is one of the world's most stable democracies, almost too stable for some people's taste. The Liberal Democratic Party has been in power for decades, either in majority or in coalition. But this use of political violence in the eve of a major election has many people shaken up. I don't think, though, the motives¹⁶ of the person that's been arrested suggests that there's a political motive¹⁵ here. There seems to be personal grievance¹⁷. So, I think, for Japan, I don't anticipate that we're seeing a very disruptive moment in Japanese democracy - but something certainly to pay attention to when one of the world's most preeminent¹⁸ democracies and preeminent economies has an assassination. It bears witness that we should be paying attention to the domestic politics across the board.

INSKEEP: Sheila Smith, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

SMITH: Thank you, Steve.

INSKEEP: Sheila Smith is a senior fellow for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

1 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。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

4 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

5 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 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。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

10 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

11 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

12 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。

13 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

16 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

17 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

18 preeminent   

adj.卓越的，杰出的

参考例句：

• Washington was recognized as the preeminent spokesman of American Negroes by 1895. 到1895年,华盛顿被公认为美国黑人的卓越代言人。
• He is preeminent because his articles are well written. 他的文章写得很漂亮,卓尔不群。