VOA常速英语2018--首届美洲峰会召开 副总统彭斯发表讲话（在线收听）

At the first Summit of the Americas, member states issued a Declaration of Principles, in which this body agreed to work together to advance the prosperity and democratic values, as well as institutions and security in the hemisphere.

The United States, said Vice President Mike Pence in a speech at the Summit of the Americas, is proud to stand with free nations across this hemisphere in pursuit of these noble goals.

The Western Hemisphere, said the Vice President, was always meant to be a hemisphere of freedom. As the charter of the Organization of American States declares, the historic mission of America is to offer... a land of liberty.

Like the citizens of your nations, said Vice President Pence, the people of the United States seek a future of opportunity and prosperity. That's why, in America… we've been unleashing our boundless natural resources, and quite recently President Trump signed the largest tax cuts and tax reform in American history.

At the same time, the United States is interested in pursuing trade relationships that are fair and reciprocal. While the United States trades nearly three times as much with its neighbors in the Western Hemisphere as it does in China, there is still tremendous opportunity to forge stronger and more balanced trade relationships across the region.

The U.S. has already taken action to reach new deals and update existing agreements. Indeed, the United States is working very closely with Canada and Mexico to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement. We believe we are fairly close to a deal, and we're going to be working earnestly to make that a reality for all of our nations, declared Vice President Pence.

Beyond trade, the United States will continue to share its traditions of entrepreneurship throughout the region. For example, through the new 2X Women's Initiative, the United States will invest an unprecedented $150 million to support women entrepreneurs throughout Latin America.

All these steps, said Vice President Pence, will strengthen the prosperity for the people of the United States, and strengthen prosperity across this region.

在首届美洲峰会上，各成员国通过了《原则宣言》。该宣言中写道，各成员国达成了共识，将通力合作，促进繁荣和民主价值观，改善整个半球的机制，确保西半球安全。

副总统迈克 彭斯(Mike Pence)在美洲峰会上发表讲话时表示，美国很自豪能与西半球的自由国家一道，共同追求这些崇高目标。

彭斯表示，西半球永远都应该是自由的半球。正如美洲国家组织的宪章中指出的，美洲的历史性使命就是保证美洲大陆的自由。

副总统彭斯表示，跟其他成员国一样，美国人民也追求机会不断、繁荣昌盛的未来。正因如此，我们美国放开了大量自然资源。而就在最近，特朗普总统还签订了美国历史上幅度最大的减税令和税制改革令。

与此同时，美国还关心的一点是：寻求公正互惠的贸易关系。虽然美国与其西半球各邻国之间的贸易额是美国对中贸易额的近三倍，但在西半球地区，依然有大把机会可以打造更加强劲、平衡的贸易关系。

美国已经采取行动，以达成新协议，并更新现有的协议。此外，美国还与加拿大和墨西哥紧密合作，以实现北美自由贸易协定的现代化。我们认为离达成协议那一天已经很近了，我们将继续精诚合作，促成我们三国之间的协定，副总统彭斯如是说道。

除了贸易之外，美国还将继续在整个西半球范围内分享其企业家精神的传统。比如，通过2X女性计划，美国将投入1.5亿美元，这是史无前例的，目的就是支持拉丁美洲的女性企业家。

副总统彭斯表示，这些举措都将巩固美国人民所享有的繁荣，并促进该地区的繁荣。