2006年VOA标准英语-India and Pakistan Open New Round of Talks

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
17 January 2006

India and Pakistan have started a new round of talks focused on new confidence-building measures and their dispute over Kashmir. The two-day dialogue aims at infusing new momentum¹ into the slow-moving peace process between the rivals.

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India's Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran (l) and his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Mohammad Khan  
  

At the end of the first day of talks between Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Mohammad Khan, both sides sounded an upbeat note.

Indian Foreign Ministry² spokesman Navtej Sarna said Tuesday they reviewed progress made so far in the two-year peace process, and the assessment³ was "positive."

"There are of course the overall improvement in relation between the two countries, building up of confidence and trust and reduction of what has been called the trust deficit⁴, increased people-to-people contact and several confidence-building measures that have been put into place," said Sarna.

Sarna added that more people are traveling between the two countries, and there are positive trends in efforts to improve economic relations.

The two countries also discussed new measures to reduce the risk of accidents involving their nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday, the talks will focus on the more difficult issue of Kashmir, which is divided between them, but claimed by both. So far the rivals have made no substantial progress in tackling their core dispute over the Himalayan region, raising worries that the peace process is flagging.

Before the talks began, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf blamed India in an interview for dragging its feet over finding a solution to the dispute. India in turn has expressed concern at what it sees as Islamabad's failure to stop attacks in Kashmir by Pakistani-based Islamic militants⁵.

Bharat Karnad, a security analyst⁶ at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, says both countries have genuine concerns, but are aware that it will take time to tackle the issues that have bedeviled their relations for decades. He says the peace process is on track.

"They have gone into it with more realism," said Bharat Karnad. "By and large Pakistan is coming round to the long-held Indian view that people-to-people exchanges, things of that sort, the measures that will promote these kind of linkages⁷ would perhaps make for a better milieu⁸ in which the more difficult problems can be tackled. This is a consolidation⁹ of the composite dialogue that is happening now."

Both countries are exploring new confidence-building measures such as more transport links, and taking steps to reopen consulates¹⁰ in Karachi and Bombay.

In the two years since the peace process began, relations between the South Asian rivals have improved. Both countries have launched cross-border transport links and declared that peace between them is "irreversible."

1 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

2 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。

3 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

4 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 linkages   

n.连接( linkage的名词复数 )；结合；联系；联动装置

参考例句：

• Only the thermosetting resins provide a strong cohesive forces; this is due to molecular cross linkages. 只有热固性树脂具有巨大的凝聚力，这是由于分子交错链所造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The linkages between the stable units must be as near as possible of equal stability. 稳定链节之间的键必须有尽可能接近的稳定性。 来自辞典例句

8 milieu   

n.环境；出身背景；(个人所处的)社会环境

参考例句：

• Foods usually provide a good milieu for the persistence of viruses.食品通常为病毒存续提供了一个良好的栖身所。
• He was born in a social milieu where further education was a luxury.他生在一个受较高教育就被认为是奢侈的社会环境里。

9 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

10 consulates   

n.领事馆( consulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Consulates General of The People's Republic at Los Angeles. 中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆。 来自互联网
• The country's embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions stationed in other countries. （七）家驻外使馆、馆和其他外交代表机构。 来自互联网