VOA标准英语2008年-US Positions Forces to Help Burma, But Won't Go

By Al Pessin
Pentaton
08 May 2008

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. military has taken more action to prepare to deliver help to victims of the Burma cyclone². But he says he "can't imagine" U.S. forces would enter Burma or its airspace without permission, as one U.S. official had suggested earlier Thursday. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

Secretary Gates says a U.S. Navy strike group in the Gulf³ of Thailand for a disaster relief exercise has sent several of its helicopters ashore⁴ so they can respond quickly to any request for help from Burma. Officials say the helicopters could fly into Burma in just a few hours. Meanwhile, Secretary Gates says, the ships will begin the five-day journey around the Malaysian Peninsula to the area near the Burmese coast.

But Secretary Gates contradicted a U.S. aid official, who said earlier the United States was considering air dropping relief supplies without permission into Burma, also known as Myanmar.

"I cannot imagine us going in without the permission of the Myanmar government," he said.

The United States already has a small task force in Thailand for the exercise that could be used for a relief effort, including six large transport planes. Secretary Gates says U.S. forces provided life-saving aid after several recent Asian disasters, and it would be unfortunate if they were not allowed to provide the same type of help this time.

"There is an opportunity here to save a lot of lives," he said. "And we are fully⁵ prepared to help, and to help right away. And it would be a tragedy if these assets, if people didn't take advantage of them."

In addition to the ability to deliver relief supplies by airplane, helicopter and ship, one of the U.S. ships has a 600-bed hospital on board.

Secretary Gates was asked whether Burma's leaders might be reluctant to accept aid if it comes on U.S. military transports, fearing the American troops might try to overthrow⁶ their government.

"I'd be surprised if they misinterpreted our intentions that badly," said Secretary Gates.

Burma's reclusive government has declined offers of help from many countries, but Secretary Gates says if Burmese leaders can be convinced to accept help from certain countries or international organizations, the United States would probably be willing to work through those groups.

"My belief would be that if we can not get in directly that we would be prepared to work creatively with others in any way we could to help," he said. "I think our interest here is totally non-political. It's to try and help the people of Myanmar."

The United States has donated $3.25 million to international organizations that are working to send aid to Burma.

The first two international aid flights since the cyclone hit on Saturday arrived in Burma on Thursday, under United Nations auspices⁷. But experts say much more aid is needed for the estimated one million or more people hurt or left without food and shelter by the storm.

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 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

7 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。