voa标准英语2008-US, Ukraine, Sign Partnership Charter

The United States and Ukraine Friday signed what was termed a Charter of Strategic Partnership¹ calling for cooperation in defense², energy, trade and other areas. The United State will set up a diplomatic mission in Ukraine's Crimean region.
　

Ukranian FM Orgyzko (L)and Sec.of State Rice at the signing ceremony for the U.S.-Ukraine Charter, 19 Dec 2008

State Department officials said the terms of the partnership accord are not unlike those of agreements the United States has with many other countries. But the signing comes at a politically-sensitive time, in the aftermath of the Georgia crisis, and officials said it is a signal to Moscow of U.S.-Ukraine solidarity³.

Following Russian intervention⁴ in Georgia and its recognition of two breakaway Georgian regions, there has been concern about increased Russian pressure on Ukraine and that it might try to foster a separatist movement in the Crimea, which has a large ethnic⁵-Russian population.

Friday's signing of the U.S.-Ukraine charter coincided with confirmation⁶ that the Bush administration intends to set up a small but symbolically-important diplomatic post in the Crimean regional capital, Simferopol.

At the signing ceremony with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States has long believed that Ukraine's independence and democracy are essential to a peaceful Europe, and that Washington holds to its support for that country's membership in NATO:

"The United States supports Ukraine's integration⁷ into Euro-Atlantic structures. And I want to assure you that the declaration at Bucharest which foresees that Ukraine will be member of NATO when it can meet those standards is very much at the center of our policy. We look forward to helping⁸ you execute the decisions of Brussels to intensify⁹ the work of the Ukraine-NATO commission toward the fulfillment of the Bucharest declaration", she said.

At last April's NATO summit in Bucharest, leaders supported eventual¹⁰ alliance membership for Ukraine and Georgia but could not reach a consensus¹¹ to offer them a formal membership action plan.
　

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop12 Scheffer at NATO headquarters in Brussels after the groups meeting on 03 Dec 2008

Meeting earlier this month in Brussels, alliance foreign ministers said they would work for membership for the two states through existing structures like the NATO-Ukraine commission.

At the signing ceremony, Ukrainian Foreign Minisrter Ohryzko said the charter agreement gives added stimulus¹³ to a rapidly expanding bilateral¹⁴ relationship. He was heard through an interpreter:

"This is a very important document because it summarizes our efforts during the past year, but it also has a very important dimension for our future. I would like to call your attention to the areas in this document that address defense, security, the economy, human rights, increased importance to cultural and people-to-people contacts and also the presence of the United States in Ukraine, in particular the Crimea," he said.

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the administration plans to set up a so-called American Presence Post in the Crimean capital, which would include one or two U.S. diplomats¹⁵ and engage in a wide range of political and cultural activities. Currently the U.S. embassy in Kyiv is the only American diplomatic mission in the country.

A majority of Crimea's two million residents are ethnic Russians, and Russia has a lease on the Soviet¹⁶ era naval¹⁷ base at Sevastapol which expires in 2017, and which Ukraine says will not be renewed. Russia denies any intention to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty in Crimea or elsewhere.

1 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。

2 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。

3 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

4 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

10 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

11 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

12 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

13 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

14 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

15 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

17 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。