|
227 美国国会对导弹防御体系提出质疑
Senate Democrats Skeptical of Missile Defense
Jim Malone
Washington
24 Jul 2001 20:45 UTC\
The debate over President Bush's proposed missile defense system is 1)heating up in the U.S. Congress. On Tuesday, the Bush plan 2)prompted a 3)skeptical reaction from Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Democrats have several concerns about the president's proposed missile defense system. First of all, they question whether it will work. Second, they fear the financial cost of the program will far 4)outweigh the security benefits.
Most of all, though, Democrats believe that the Bush Administration's insistence on rapid testing and deployment of a missile defense system will effectively scrap the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty and will be seen as a threat by Russia.
Democrat Joseph Biden is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I find it amazing that we are about to 5)undertake a testing program that will 6)potentially put us up against the ABM Treaty within a matter of months and we don't know whether or not those tests, which are planned within the next couple of months, will actually violate the ABM Treaty," Senator Biden said.
Bush Administration officials say a special committee is considering whether continued testing of the missile defense system would 7)violate the ABM Treaty and that their conclusion will be announced soon.
But administration officials also leave little doubt that the president is committed to quick action on missile defense, with or without 8)cooperation from the Russians.
John Bolton, 9)Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, says that "the president, I think, described it quite well yesterday when he said time is of the 10)essence and that while we hope, expect and are optimistic for cooperation with the Russians, the president is determined to have an effective missile defense system. If we can do it together, that would be great. But if we can't, then we will do it ourselves."
Supporters of the missile defense system say its main advantage would be protection against an attack from a 11)rogue state or terrorist group.
The top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jesse Helms, says the lack of a missile defense system makes the United States 12)vulnerable. "It is an open invitation to nations to obtain ballistic missiles to 13)exploit the failure of the United States to defend the American people and that, I think, is why we must develop missile defenses because that, Mr. Chairman, in my judgement, will make North Korean and Iranian ballistic missiles a waste of time and money for them." Senator Helms said.
But some Democrats, including Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, question that argument. "It is very hard to understand how a country like North Korea or Iran would purposely send one missile or two our way with a trail inviting 14)obliteration on their part, where they have so many other methods to 15)injure this country." Senator Kerry said.
With Democrats now in control of the U.S. Senate, chances for 16)outright approval of the president's missile defense proposal have 17)slipped somewhat. But many Democrats favor a more limited and less 18)costly missile defense system, suggesting at least the possibility of agreement on a 19)compromise plan somewhere down the line.
(1) heat up v.加热
(2) prompt[prRmpt]vt.提示, 鼓动, 促使adj.敏捷的, 迅速的adv.准时地
(3) skeptical[5skeptIk(E)l]adj.怀疑性的,好怀疑的
(4) outweigh[aJt5weI]v.在重量(或价值等)上超过
(5) undertake[QndE5teIk]vt.承担, 担任, 许诺, 保证v.采取
(6) potentially adv.潜在地
(7) violate[5vaIEleIt]vt.违犯,干扰, 违反, 妨碍, 侵犯
(8) cooperation[kEJRpE5reIF(E)n]n.合作, 协作
(9) undersecretary[QndE5sekrEtErI; (?@) -terI]n.次长, 副部长
(10) essence[5esns]n.基本, [哲]本质, 香精
(11) rogue[rEJ^]n.流氓, 无赖vt.欺诈vi.流浪, 耍无赖
(12) vulnerable[5vQlnErEb(E)l]adj.易受攻击的, 易受...的攻击
(13) exploit[Ik5splCIt]vt.开拓, 开发, 开采v.使用
(14) obliteration[E9blItE`reIFEn]n.涂去, 删除
(15) injure[5IndVE(r)]vt.损害, 伤害v.伤害
(16) outright[5aJtraIt]adj.直率的, 彻底的adv.直率地, 立刻地, 全部地
(17) slip[slIP]n.滑倒, 事故vi.滑动, 减退vt.使滑动, 滑过, 摆脱, 闪开
(18) costly[5kRstlI]adj.昂贵的, 贵重的
(19) compromise[5kRmprEmaIz]n.妥协, 折衷v.妥协, 折衷, 危及...的安全
|