VOA标准英语 US, Mexico Leaders Pledge Cooperation on Economy, Dr

President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon have pledged to overhaul¹ their countries' bilateral² relationship to confront urgent challenges ranging from security threats to environmental dangers. The two leaders spoke³ at Mexico's presidential residence ahead of a one-on-one meeting.
　
President Barack Obama, left, greets Mexican President Felipe Calderon upon arrival to Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City, 16 April 2009

President Obama described Mexico's battle against drug traffickers as courageous⁴ and said the United States must be a full partner in that arena⁵ and many others.

Standing⁶ alongside his Mexican counterpart, Mr. Obama said U.S.-Mexican ties are strong but can still be stronger. He paid tribute to historical bonds between the two countries that have grown in significance through immigration.

"All across the United States, we have benefited from the culture, the language, the food, the insights, the literature, the energy, and the ambitions of people who have migrated from our southern neighbor," he said.

Mr. Obama said it was no accident that the first foreign leader with whom he met following last year's electoral victory was President Calderon.

For his part, Mr. Calderon said Mexico is doing its part to confront security challenges and build a more vibrant⁷ economy so that fewer of his countrymen feel compelled to seek a future elsewhere. He urged President Obama to make good on his pledge to pursue comprehensive immigration reform in the United States so that families separated by the U.S.-Mexico border can be reunited.

He spoke at length of a vision for the North American region he wants to become reality. He said he wants a continent that is more prosperous and developed with a more-competitive economy. He said he wants a North America is that is more secure, free of terrorism and organized crime. And he said he wants a continent that embraces its responsibilities to the global environment.

After their bilateral meeting, the two leaders were expected to announce measures to curb⁸ the flow of U.S. weapons to Mexico and other nations. Mexico has urged the United States to reinstate a ban on assault weapons - something the Obama administration says it favors.

The death toll⁹ from drug-related violence in Mexico's northernmost states totaled roughly 6,000 last year. Before Mr. Obama's arrival, President Calderon said his country has paid a high price confronting drug traffickers whose criminal enterprise exists to satisfy the U.S. demand for illegal narcotics¹⁰.

1 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

2 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。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

5 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

8 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

9 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

10 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》