VOA慢速英语2014 日本放宽对军事战争的限制

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-07 Japan to Ease Restrictions¹ on its Military 日本放宽对军事战争的限制

Hello, and welcome to As It Is from VOA Learning English.

I’m Christopher Cruise in Washington.

Today, we report on the Japanese government’s decision to ease some restrictions on the country’s military.

“The U.S. is going to welcome this, definitely, given that the U.S., for a long time, has wanted more out of its Japanese ally.”

The new rules enabling Japan’s military to exercise the right to “collective self-defense” -- that is our subject today on As It Is.

Japan Defends Push to Strengthen Military

The conservative government in Japan has decided² to change the official interpretation³, or understanding, of the country’s anti-war Constitution. Some observers are calling the proposal the biggest change in meaning since the constitution took effect 67 years ago. United States officials wrote the document following Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.

Some Japanese and people in other nations oppose the change. The opposition⁴ is especially strong in the areas that suffered from Japanese colonial rule in the first half of the 20th century.

But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is defending his effort to change the meaning of Article 9 of the Constitution, which says Japan will not make war.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters July 1, 2014 about possible changes to the country's constitution..

The cabinet approved the change last week. It would give Japan the right to exercise what is being called “collective self-defense.”

The prime minister spoke⁵ to reporters about the change. He said some people mistakenly believe it means Japan could become involved in a war to help other countries.

Mr. Abe says the reinterpretation⁶ of the 1947 Constitution would only permit what he calls “the minimum necessary measures for our self-defense.”

China immediately expressed concern about the decision.

Foreign Ministry⁷ spokesman Hong Lei says Japan must respect the security concerns of its neighbors. He says Japan should not harm China’s security and should not damage peace in the area.

Last week, protesters demonstrated against the decision to ease restrictions on Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Demonstrations⁸ took place in the capital, Tokyo. 

Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the prime minister’s office. Some of them had signs that compared Mr. Abe to the former German leader Adolf Hitler.

Other protestors urged Mr. Abe not to, in their words, “destroy” the constitution.

A man shouts during a protest at the Japanese prime minister's office about the Japanese government's plan to reinterpret the constitution to permit Japan's military a larger international role.

Among those protesting was university student Jinishiro Motoyama. He is worried that the cabinet’s decision to ease restrictions on the armed forces could be the first step on the path back to Japanese militarism.

“This is a significant change in the Japanese history. It’s not a good way or a clever way to go. If Mr. Abe changes Article 9 we can’t imagine what’s going on with the next Cabinet or in the future.”

The protest took place a day after one man set himself on fire at a Tokyo train station and survived. He had earlier shouted his opposition to the change.

Also last week, some South Koreans gathered at the Japanese embassy in Seoul to show their opposition to the change.

The protestors called for the Japanese prime minister to stop his attempt to lift the ban on collective self-defense.

Park Hwee-rhak is a political science professor at Kookmin University. He says South Korea and Japan are already in what he calls an “indirect alliance” because the U.S. military operates bases in both countries. The U.S. military would use those bases to defend the two Asian neighbors if they are attacked. Professor Park says this means South Korea would need to cooperate with Japan if there is an attack on the South by North Korea.

In his words, South Korea “should not view Japan’s decision too emotionally.” He says his country should recognize Japan’s right of collective self-defense on one condition: South Korea should receive “Japan’s promise that it will not adopt policies of militarism or territorial⁹ expansion in the future.”

South Korea’s foreign ministry says any Japanese exercise of collective self-defense on the Korean peninsula “cannot be accepted unless we request it or agree to it.”

Jeffrey Hornung teaches at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. He says the United States military will be pleased with Japan’s new understanding of its constitution.

“The U.S. is going to welcome this, definitely, given that the U.S., for a long time, has wanted more out of its Japanese ally.”

If Japanese lawmakers agree, the move will permit Japan’s armed forces to rescue foreign or United Nations peacekeepers if attacked. And Japanese forces would be able to expand the use of their weapons. But the government says even with the change, Japanese troops would not be permitted to go to areas of conflict.

A majority in both houses of Japan’s parliament has to approve the changes for them to take effect. The governing Liberal Democratic Party has a strong majority in the lower house and controls the upper house with the support of a coalition¹⁰ partner.

Recent public opinion surveys showed that at least half of those Japanese questioned oppose a stronger military.

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun says such a big change should be the product of an amendment¹¹ to the constitution. The newspaper says such a change should not be something the government does on its own.

Last month, the China Daily newspaper published an editorial on the subject. The newspaper said East Asian countries should be vigilant¹², or watchful¹³ against Prime Minister Abe’s moves. It said, “Japan is the only Asian country that has inflicted¹⁴ tremendous harm on its neighbors with its military aggression¹⁵ before and during World War II.”

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces were created 60 years ago to replace the defeated Imperial Japan military. Allied¹⁶ forces broke up the Imperial military after the end of World War II.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 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。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

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 reinterpretation   

n.重新解释，纠正性说明

参考例句：

• The ancient "Book of Songs" needs a reinterpretation for the young people.对青年人来说，古代的《诗经》需要做新的解释。
• Optimists are also skilled at using the psychological defense of "reinterpretation" of events.乐观者长于使用对事件“重新解释”的心理防御。

7 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。

8 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

9 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

12 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

13 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

14 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

15 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

16 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。