President Barack Obama is mounting an all-out push for U.S. Senate ratification of the New START nuclear treaty with Russia, calling it crucial for U.S. national security. The president summoned a bipartisan group of former White House officials to help efforts to gain ratification before the end of the year.
奥巴马总统正在全力推动参议院批准美国与俄罗斯签署的新的《削减战略武器条约》。奥巴马称这一条约对美国国家安全至关重要。奥巴马总统召集了由前白宫官员组成的一个跨党派小组，努力促成这项条约在今年年底前获得批准。
Seated with the president were Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with the Democratic chairman and ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry and Richard Lugar.
与奥巴马总统坐在一起的有副总统拜登、国务卿克林顿，以及民主党主席克里和参议院外交关系委员会的资深共和党人卢格。
Also there were former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright, James Baker and Henry Kissinger, former defense secretaries William Cohen and William Perry, former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft and former Senator Sam Nunn.
在场的还有前国务卿奥尔布赖特、贝克和基辛格，前国防部长科恩和佩里，前国家安全顾问斯考克罗夫特以及前参议员纳恩。
Calling ratification a national security imperative, the president said failure to do so would endanger the entire U.S.-Russian verification framework.
奥巴马称批准美俄核军控条约是美国国家安全的当务之急。他说，如果条约得不到批准的话，将威胁到整个美俄的核查体制。
"If we do not, then we do not have a verification regime. No inspectors, no insights into Russia's strategic arsenal, no framework for cooperation between the world's two nuclear superpowers."
奥巴马说：“如果我们没有这么做，那么我们就没有了核查体制。没有检查员，无法洞察俄罗斯的战略核武库，更无法在世界上两个核超级大国间建立合作框架。”
New START was signed earlier this year to replace the expired START treaty. It would reduce U.S. and Russian long-range nuclear arsenals by as much as one third and provide mechanisms for verification by both sides.
美俄今年早些时候签署了新的《削减战略武器条约》以替代原有到期的条约。新条约将削减美国和俄罗斯远程核武库的三分之一，并将向双方提供核查机制。
During his just-completed Asia trip, Mr. Obama told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that achieving Senate approval is his top foreign policy priority.
奥巴马在刚刚结束的亚洲之行中对俄罗斯总统梅德韦杰夫说，促成参议院通过这项条约是他外交政策的头等大事。
Though it has broad bipartisan support, New START has faced resistance from Republicans, such as Senator Jon Kyl, who assert it would harm U.S. missile-defense efforts, and not allow for adequate U.S. verification of Russian compliance.
尽管新条约获得了两党广泛的支持，但仍然面临来自一些共和党人的阻碍，比如共和党参议员凯尔。他坚称新条约将损害美国的导弹防御努力，而且无法保证俄罗斯充分遵守美国的核查。
Saying arms control treaties have not traditionally been a partisan issue in Congress, Mr. Obama noted he agreed to add $4.1 billion to upgrade the U.S. nuclear weapons infrastructure, to address Republican concerns. Delay, he said, is not an option.
奥巴马说，军控条约传统上不是国会中的一个党派问题。他指出，他同意增加41亿美元拨款，升级美国的核武器基础设施，以打消共和党人的忧虑。但他说，推迟批准条约，不是一个选择。
"This is not about politics, it is about national security. This is not a matter that can be delayed. Every month that goes by without a treaty means we are not able to verify what is going on, on the ground, in Russia. And if we delay indefinitely, American leadership on nonproliferation and America's national security will be weakened."
奥巴马说：“这与政治无关，而是关系到国家安全。这不是一个可以被推迟的事情。时间在一点点流逝，我们没有批准这项条约就意味着我们无法查实在俄罗斯的土地上正在发生什么。如果我们无限期地拖延下去，美国领导防止核扩散的能力就会减弱，美国的国家安全也会变得薄弱。”
New START ratification also is an important part of the president's "reset" of relations with Russia. Mr. Obama linked the treaty to a range of other issues, including Moscow's support for sanctions against Iran, U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, securing vulnerable nuclear materials, and steps to enhance European security.
Senate ratification requires 67 votes in the 100 seat chamber where Democrats still hold a majority. When a new Congress convenes next year, Democrats would need to obtain the support of at least 14 Senate Republicans.
参议员批准一项条约要求100个议席中至少有67票赞成。目前，民主党在参议院仍然占有多数席位。当新国会于明年召开的时候，民主党人则需要获得至少14名共和党参议员的支持。
President Obama said he has assigned Vice President Biden to undertake a day-and-night effort to ensure that New START is ratified, adding he is confident in being able to get the Senate votes needed for ratification.
奥巴马总统说，他已经指派副总统拜登进行马不停蹄的努力，以确保新的《削减战略武器条约》获得批准。奥巴马还补充道，他有信心在参议院获得批准这项条约所需的赞成票。 |