voa标准英语2008年-US Makes New Proposals to Russia on Missile Def

The State Department's top arms control official says the United States has made new proposals to Moscow aimed at easing Russian concern about the planned U.S. missile defense¹ system in central Europe. Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Rood says the Bush administration has also made a new proposal to cut U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals². VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The comments here came against a background of angry new criticism of the missile-defense plan by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

But Under-Secretary Rood said despite the unwelcome and threatening statements by the Russian leader, the two sides are still talking about arms issues and that Washington in the last two weeks has sent Moscow new proposals on both missile defense and strategic arms reductions.
　

A launcher of short-range Iskander missile during a rehearsal3 for the Victory Day military parade in downtown Moscow, 29 Apr 2008

Mr. Medvedev, in an address Wednesday in Moscow, said Russia plans to deploy⁴ short-range missiles in its Baltic-coast Kaliningrad enclave to counter the U.S. missile defense system.

Plans call for 10 U.S. missile interceptors to be placed in Poland and an associated radar⁵ system in the Czech Republic to defend against an anticipated long-range missile threat from Iran.

Despite U.S. assurances, Russia said the system would undermine its strategic deterrence⁶ and Mr. Medvedev's threat Wednesday to deploy mobile Iskander missiles and jamming equipment in Kaliningrad were the most specific from Russia on the issue to date.

In a talk with reporters, Rood said the United States this week sent Moscow a more detailed⁷ offer on confidence-building steps that would, among other things, give Russian monitors access to the installations in Poland and the Czech Republic to verify they are not aimed at Russia.
　

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev delivers his annual state of the nation speech in Moscow, 5 Nov. 2008

Rood said the Medvedev remarks were unwelcome but that U.S.-Russian dialogue on the issue will continue.

"We've heard some of those threats before," he said. "He [i.e., Medvedev] elaborated upon the previous Russian threats with some additional detail. I think as a whole, it was disappointing. But as a result of that we've not decided⁸ to disengage or something of that nature. Rather, to the contrary, we think it's just as important as ever to talk to the Russians about their concerns. We don't think that there's a legitimate⁹ basis to view what we've done, our plans, in Poland the Czech Republic as a threat to Russia."

The U.S. arms control official said he expects to meet his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Moscow in about two weeks to discuss missile defense and other issues, including a new U.S. proposal to further limit strategic nuclear weapons on both sides.

The two powers have been holding general discussions for some time on how to replace their 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, which expires at the end of 2009.

Rood said the previously-undisclosed U.S. proposal, conveyed to Moscow late last month, represents a shift in U.S. thinking by focusing on limiting nuclear warheads, rather than missile launchers, as in the START treaty.

"We now have put forward a legally-binding treaty. We think that the focus on nuclear warheads is appropriate in this treaty and that is what is reflected," Rood said. "The START treaty itself did not set limits on nuclear warheads, it set limits on delivery systems, and then a formula was used to attribute a certain number of nuclear warheads to delivery systems. But the treaty we have put forward has, at the center of its focus, limitation on strategic nuclear warheads."

Rood would not specify¹⁰ warhead limits being proposed by the United States but noted¹¹ that a 2003 agreement between President Bush and then-Russian President Vladimir Putin already limits the sides to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads.

Rood said Moscow favors a broader treaty also covering some conventional arms systems including missile defense, but said he still believes negotiations¹² can be completed before the START treaty expires.

1 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。

2 arsenals   

n.兵工厂，军火库( arsenal的名词复数 )；任何事物的集成

参考例句：

• We possess-each of us-nuclear arsenals capable of annihilating humanity. 我们两国都拥有能够毁灭全人类的核武库。 来自辞典例句
• Arsenals are factories that produce weapons. 军工厂是生产武器的工厂。 来自互联网

3 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

4 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

5 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

6 deterrence   

威慑，制止； 制止物，制止因素； 挽留的事物； 核威慑

参考例句：

• An extreme school of "disarmers" pronounced stable deterrence was a dangerous deception. “裁军论者”中的极端派声称，稳定的威摄是一种危险的骗局。
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。

7 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

8 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。

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

11 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。

12 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。