VOA双语新闻 Major Role for Diplomacy

U.S. legislators and members of the September 11 Commission say American diplomacy¹ will have a major role in preventing future terrorist attacks on the United States.

美国国会议员及“9-11恐怖袭击事件调查委员会”委员们说， 美国的外交政策将在美国防止未来恐怖主义袭击事件中起重大作用。

Speaking before the House International Relations Committee, the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular² Affairs, Maura Hardy³, said much has been done to reform a visa screening and processing system that allowed 19 hijackers from the September 11 attacks to enter the United States with little or no scrutiny⁴. "In visa processing, we have established a new worldwide policy for interviewing, added additional security clearance⁵ checks for counter-terrorism purposes for certain groups of applicants⁶. We have strengthened procedures following revocation⁷ of visas to ensure timely notification to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI," she said.

美国国务院负责领事事务的助理国务卿哈迪在国会众议院国际关系委员会的听证会上说，就9-11事件中19名劫持者漏过签证审查的问题，美国在改进发放签证的审议程序方面已经做了许多改变。他说：“在签发签证方面，出于对某些特定组织申请人在‘反恐’方面的需要，我们建立了一套新的、全球性的‘面审’政策，增加了额外的审查程序。我们加强了对那些被撤销了签证之后重新申请签证的审批程序，确保及时通知国土安全部和联邦调查局。

But the State Department does much more than issue visas, and Thursday's congressional hearing focused on the larger subject of American diplomacy and the war on terrorism. "It is abundantly clear that the credibility and reputation of the United States is at an all-time low internationally and, particularly in the Muslim world," said Democratic New Jersey⁸ Representative Bob Menendez. "To lead in the fight against terrorism, we must regain⁹ our credibility and our reputation. To win that fight, we must also win a tough battle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world."

然而国务院的工作决不是仅仅发放签证。国会星期四的听证会还把注意力集中在更大的方面---美国的外交政策以及反恐战争。来自新泽西州的民主党众议员梅嫩德斯说：“非常明显：在国际上，特别是穆斯林世界，美国的信誉和声望已经下降到了有史以来的最低点。要想领导反恐战争，我们必须重新建立起我们的信誉。要想赢得这场战斗，我们必须首先赢得穆斯林世界的‘人心’。”

To that end, the committee heard a plethora¹⁰ of recommendations from members of the September 11 Commission who argued that the United States must focus attention on the dreams and aspirations¹¹ of countless¹² Muslims who may be wary¹³ or even disdainful of the United States, but who are not hardened terrorists. Commission members recommended expanding foreign assistance programs that have an impact on education, infrastructure¹⁴ and economic opportunity as well as boosting U.S.-funded television broadcasts to Muslim nations.

就这一问题，听证会还听取了9-11事件调查委员会委员们的大量建议。他们认为：美国必须关注大量怀有梦想和抱负的穆斯林。这些人可能担忧甚至蔑视美国，但并不是死心踏地的“恐怖主义分子”。调查委员会的成员们建议：扩大那些对穆斯林国家影响着教育、基础设施、就业机会以及美国出资的电视广播等的对外援助计划。

On the subject of government-to-government contacts, September 11 Commission's Deputy Executive Director Christopher Kojm advocated creating a forum¹⁵ for regular consultation¹⁶ between Western and Muslim governments. He also gave an impassioned plea for a renewed U.S. commitment to improving relations with allies and international partners. "Whether it is military cooperation, law enforcement, aviation security - we are going to have to work with other governments. It all takes place in the context of the overall relationship that we have with governments. And if we do not have a relationship of trust and cooperation with key international partners, these other forms of cooperation in sector-specific areas will not happen," he said.

就国与国之间的接触来说，9-11事件调查委员会副主席科基姆则建议：在西方国家和穆斯林国家之间建立一个进行正常磋商的“论坛”。他还令人印象深刻的“请求”美国政府做出新的承诺：改善美国和盟国以及国际夥伴的关系。他说：“不论是军事上，执法方面还是航空安全方面，我们都必须和其他国家的政府协作，都是在我们和其他国家政府之间的关系上进行的。如果我们和国际夥伴之间没有那种相互信任的合作关系，那么在其它什么特定领域里就不可能有任何形式的合作。”

For cooperation to succeed, however, Mr. Kojm said that U.S. policies must not alienate¹⁷ partners and allies, nor should they alienate potential future partners and allies. He noted¹⁸ that the September 11 Commission was not tasked with judging the efficacy of current U.S. foreign policy. But he said that success in Iraq along with progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would greatly aid overall anti-terror efforts.

科基姆说，要想合作获得成功，美国的政策无论如何决不能“疏远”美国的夥伴和盟友，也不能“疏远”潜在的、未来的夥伴和盟友。他指出：9-11事件调查委员会的任务并不是挑剔现美国政府的对外政策的。然而他说， 在伊拉克问题上的成功、在解决以、巴冲突上所取得的进展，都大大地帮助了在反恐方面所做出的努力。
 

1 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

2 consular   

a.领事的

参考例句：

• He has rounded out twenty years in the consular service. 他在领事馆工作已整整20年了。
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。

3 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

4 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

5 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

6 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

7 revocation   

n.废止，撤回

参考例句：

• the revocation of planning permission 建筑许可的撤销
• The revocation of the Edict of Nantes was signed here in 1685. 1685年南特敕令的废除是在这里宣布的。 来自互联网

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

9 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

10 plethora   

n.过量，过剩

参考例句：

• Java comes with a plethora of ready-made types.Java配套提供了数量众多的现成类型。
• A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market.大批新的运营商将获准进入该市场。

11 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

12 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

13 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

14 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

15 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。

16 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

17 alienate   

vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等)

参考例句：

• His attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith.他离间那两个朋友的企图失败了，因为他们彼此完全信任。
• We'd better not alienate ourselves from the colleagues.我们最好还是不要与同事们疏远。

18 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。