VOA慢速英语2015 奥巴马视与世界领导人关系商业重于友谊

AS IT IS 2015-04-06 For Obama, More Business Than Friendship with World Leaders 奥巴马视与世界领导人关系商业重于友谊

Presidents often depend on personal relationships with world leaders. Many people have commented on the personal relationship between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some experts say current relations between the counties are connected to the leaders’ difficult relationship. They say friendship, or the lack of friendship, among world leaders can play a part in foreign affairs.

Mr. Netanyahu spoke¹ in early March before the U.S. Congress. In the speech, he rejected U.S. efforts to limit Iran’s development of nuclear power in exchange for easing economic restrictions².

Mr. Obama did not attend the speech. He said the U.S. president does not usually meet with foreign leaders right before elections in their home country. 

Many said both men’s actions appeared to hurt ties between the countries further.

A few weeks after the speech, Mr. Netanyahu said he opposed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. policy supports a two-state solution.

Mr. Netanyahu softened³ his opposition⁴ to a Palestinian state after he won re-election in Israel. But some say his position further damaged U.S.-Israeli relations.

Past relationships

Aaron David Miller⁵ is a former State Department Middle East Advisor⁶. He says many former U.S. and Israeli leaders have had tense relationships, including Jimmy Carter and Menachem Begin; George H.W. Bush and Yitzhak Shamir; and Bill Clinton and Benjamin Netanyahu.

But in those cases, Mr. Miller says, the leaders were able to work together despite disagreements and perhaps even dislike. The situation between Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu is different. 

“And that is a, I think, a result of a confluence⁷ of differing personalities⁸, different politics and different policies. It’s a perfect storm basically, and it’s resulted in probably the worst patch in the modern history of the U.S.-Israeli relationship.”

Mr. Miller says successful world leaders love politics and people. And personalities matter.

“I watched Bill Clinton at Wye River charm the Israelis and Palestinians. I watched his personal commitment to both the late [Jordanian] King Hussein and the late [Israeli] Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He had emotional relationships. With Rabin, it was an extraordinary example of how personality and common policy and outlook produced one of the closest relationships.”

Mr. Miller says that unlike other recent presidents, including Mr. Clinton and George W. Bush, Mr. Obama is more analytical⁹ and introverted. In other words, he likes to be private and intellectual instead of social and emotional.

“In effect, you have a president who I think can be quite compelling at times when he does engage. The question is whether he enjoys it.”

How personal relationships can affect foreign policy

Matthew Dallek is a professor of political management at George Washington University in Washington, DC. He agrees that Mr. Obama appears to perform better with crowds than with individuals.

“[Former U.S. President] Ronald Reagan, in some ways, was this way as well -- the ability in public settings to project and make people feel a part of what it was they were talking about, but then a sort of almost disengagement when it comes to these one-on-one interpersonal relations,” says Mr. Dallek.

Mr. Dallek adds that developing friendships with foreign leaders is important for U.S. presidents, especially if a crisis happens.

He uses the example of the Islamic State taking control of many parts of Syria and Iraq. In that case, President Obama reached out to other countries and formed a coalition¹⁰ against the militant¹¹ group.

Mr. Dallek says good personal relationships cannot always overcome major policy disagreements. But, he says, when issues are tough personal relationships can make a big difference.

Words in This Story

analytical – adj. having or showing skill in thinking or reasoning

introverted – adj. shy; not finding it easy to talk to other people

compelling – adj. very interesting; able to make someone believe or agree

engage – v. get or keep someone’s attention or interest

project – v. act in a way that shows a particular quality

interpersonal – adj. relating to relations between people

1 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。

2 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

3 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

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 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 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。

7 confluence   

n.汇合，聚集

参考例句：

• They built the city at the confluence of two rivers.他们建造了城市的汇合两条河流。
• The whole DV movements actually was a confluence of several trends.整个当时的DV运动，实际上是几股潮流的同谋。

8 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

9 analytical   

adj.分析的；用分析法的

参考例句：

• I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。
• As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

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 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。