VOA标准英语2008年-US Defense Chief Says American-Korean Alliance

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
03 June 2008

United States Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates has reaffirmed that Washington's military commitment to South Korea will remain strong, well after the South makes a key move toward autonomy in its command structure. VOA Seoul Correspondent Kurt Achin reports.
　

Robert Gates answers reporters' questions during press conference in Seoul, 03 Jun 2008

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates presided over Tuesday's change of command ceremony, replacing Marine² General Burwell Bell with Army Lieutenant³ General Walter Sharp as the head of American forces here.

The United States deploys⁴ about 28,000 military personnel here, to deter⁵ or defeat any repeat of North Korea's 1950 invasion of the South. Those forces play a key role in enforcing the 1953 Korean War armistice⁶ which established the border demilitarized zone, or DMZ.

Gates says the Korean-American alliance remains⁷ as necessary and relevant as ever.

"We face a serious adversary⁸ across the DMZ in the North," Gates said. "That is why we have this alliance...We will stay prepared and stay equipped to be able to deal with any potential threat."

North Korea stations more than a million troops along its border with South Korea. It also maintains hundreds of offensive artillery⁹ and short-range missile batteries. Nonetheless, experts widely agree the impoverished¹⁰ North is vastly outmatched in technology and resources by the South's 670,000 strong military, backed by the United States.

Under the present terms of the alliance, Washington would control South Korean forces in the case of a resumed Korean War. South Korea is scheduled to regain¹¹ wartime command of its own forces in 2012. The United States and South Korea froze plans to reduce American troop levels down to 25,000 after newly elected South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met with U.S. President George Bush in April. The conservative Mr. Lee has called for strengthening the alliance.

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 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 deploys   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的第三人称单数 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• It then deploys "decoy" programs designed to attract the virus. 然后，它释放“诱饵”去吸引病毒。
• But when that doesn't work, he deploys his secret defense mechanism. 但没有效果，它要施展绝密自卫武器了。

5 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

6 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

9 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

10 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。