VOA常速英语2008年-Despite Difficulties, Kremlin Sees Better Ties

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
17 March 2008

Kremlin leaders are offering a positive assessment¹ about the future of U.S.-Russian relations, but caution that a number of difficult issues continue to separate the two sides, particularly those involving missile defense². VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates that he considers a letter he recently received from President George W. Bush to be a serious document, which the Russian side has thoroughly³ analyzed⁴.

Mr. Putin said if both sides are able to reach agreement on the letter's main points, it will be possible to say the U.S.-Russian dialogue is developing in a very productive manner. The Russian leader says a number of bilateral⁵ problems may be considered resolved. He notes, however, that many others still need to be discussed.

Mr. Putin's successor Dmitri Medvedev met separately with Rice and Gates, saying there is an opportunity for continuity in U.S.-Russian relations despite divergence⁶ on key strategic issues between the two countries.

Russia's president-elect says differences between Russia and the United States remain on such issues as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, and missile defense. Nonetheless, Medvedev says there is will and determination to move ahead. He also notes the presence of every opportunity to create a necessary foundation for near-term continuity in U.S.-Russian relations.

Medvedev adds that visiting U.S. officials are likely to face difficult talks on Tuesday with their Russian counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Anatoly Serdyukov.

Rice and Gates arrived in Moscow with lowered expectations for progress in so-called two-plus-two talks among the defense and foreign-policy chiefs of both countries. Each side announced in advance that they expect the other to initiate⁷ movement. Russian officials said progress depends on serious proposals from the United States.

But Defense Secretary Gates said the United States has put a lot on the table in terms of missile defense proposals and it is time for the Russians to reciprocate⁸. Gates added that he sees potential for progress during the Moscow talks, but cautioned that he would not get too excited at this point.

Both sides will be discussing a replacement⁹ for the 1991 START treaty, which set limits on U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons. The treaty expires next year. Secretary Rice has said the United States does not object to a formal agreement, but notes it is important to know what would be formalized.

The Kremlin also opposes a U.S. plan to deploy¹⁰ a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic to offset¹¹ a potential threat from Iran. Moscow is expressing fear the system could eliminate Russia's strategic deterrent¹².

An alternative Kremlin plan includes a joint¹³ Russian-American missile defense radar¹⁴ in Azerbaijan. American officials have been cool to this idea. The United States has proposed delaying activation¹⁵ of the Central European sites until Iran demonstrated evidence of a genuine missile threat. The United States also offered Russia access to the sites.

Secretary Gates is in Moscow, still healing an arm that he broke in a recent slip on the ice. He joked that the injury might make it easier to negotiate with him. "We shall see," responded Dmitri Medvedev.

1 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？

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 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

4 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 divergence   

n.分歧，岔开

参考例句：

• There is no sure cure for this transatlantic divergence.没有什么灵丹妙药可以消除大西洋两岸的分歧。
• In short,it was an age full of conflicts and divergence of values.总之，这一时期是矛盾与价值观分歧的时期。

7 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

8 reciprocate   

v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答

参考例句：

• Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。
• Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

9 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

10 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。

11 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

12 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

13 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

14 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。

15 activation   

n. 激活，催化作用

参考例句：

• A computer controls the activation of an air bag.电脑控制着气囊的启动。