VOA慢速英语2014 Security Concerns Raised on Obama’s Asian Trip 奥巴马亚洲之旅聚焦所谓的“安全问题”

 

Security Concerns Raised on Obama’s Asian Trip 奥巴马亚洲之旅聚焦所谓的“安全问题”

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.  

It has been nearly three years since President Barack Obama announced what has been called the “Asia pivot¹.”  The term describes increasing attention on East Asia and the Pacific after reducing American involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

This week, President Obama left Washington for a weeklong trip to four Asian countries.  The trip aimed to re-state U.S. support for the security of Asian allies and for reducing trade barriers among Pacific nations.

 

Mr. Obama arrived in Japan Wednesday at a time when a number of allies are concerned about China’s military expansion.  Many Japanese have noted² the failure of the Obama administration to act on its threats to attack Syria.  They have seen the administration’s unwillingness³ to provide military aid to Ukraine.  The Japanese are worried that the United States may not come to Japan’s aid.

On Thursday, the president said the U.S. would honor a defense⁴ treaty with Japan if China seizes a disputed group of islands.  The islands are known as Senkaku in Japan and as Diaoyu in China.  Mr. Obama spoke⁵ after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.   

“The treaty between the United States and Japan preceded my birth, so obviously this isn't a red line that I'm drawing.  It is the standard interpretation⁶ over multiple administrations of the terms of the alliance, which is that territories under the administration of Japan are covered under the treaty.  There's no shift in position.  There's no red line that's been drawn⁷.  We're simply applying the treaty.”  

But in Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry⁸ spokesman noted that nothing has changed.  The official said, “the Diaoyu Islands are China’s inherent territory” and the country would protect its “sovereignty and maritime⁹ rights.”

At his meetings in Tokyo, President Obama urged Japan to speed up talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership¹⁰.  The partnership would create a free trade zone among Pacific countries.  The negotiations¹¹ were slowed down over Japanese taxes on agricultural products.

On Friday, the U.S president was in Seoul for talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye.  At a joint¹² press conference, Mr. Obama said America would never back away from its promise to help South Korea.  He also said the two countries will stand “shoulder to shoulder” against any incitement¹³ by North Korea.  Earlier he gave a warning to the North against carrying out another nuclear test.

After two days in Seoul, Mr. Obama will visit Malaysia and then the Philippines.  Territorial disputes with China and U.S. military cooperation will again come up for discussion.        

This is President Obama’s fifth visit to Asia since taking office in 2009.  Susan Rice is his National Security Advisor¹⁴.  Speaking before the Asian tour, she presented the trip as a chance to declare U.S. focus on Asia and the Pacific.

“Whether it ought to be viewed as a containment¹⁵ of China, I would say this trip has a very positive, affirmative agenda and that is how we are looking at it - as an opportunity to solidify¹⁶ and modernize¹⁷ our alliances and partnerships¹⁸; as an opportunity to advance our economic agenda.”  

1 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

2 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。

3 unwillingness   

n. 不愿意，不情愿

参考例句：

• Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。
• His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱，他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。

4 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。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 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。

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 incitement   

激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物

参考例句：

• incitement to racial hatred 种族仇恨的挑起
• Interest is an incitement to study. 兴趣刺激学习。

14 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

15 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

16 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

17 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

18 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句