VOA标准英语2009-Gates Calls on Persian Gulf States to Help M

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates called on Persian Gulf² States and other Middle Eastern powers Tuesday to do more to help stabilize³ Iraq and Afghanistan, and to work together to counter Iranian influence. Gates spoke⁴ in Washington to a gathering⁵ of top military officers from the region.
　
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 23 Jun 2009

Secretary Gates told the military officers that the United States will continue to stand by its allies in the Middle East, even as it reaches out to Iran. He accused Iran of "regional meddling," which he said "has already cost far too many lives." And he said Iran's future "must not include a nuclear weapon" or further "destabilizing activities."

But Gates also sought to reassure⁶ the military leaders from 11 Middle Eastern nations of continued U.S. support, particularly if Iran continues its current policies.

"Even as the U.S. engages with Iran, we will move to strengthen nonproliferation norms and work with allies and partners to see that their fundamental security interests are protected," said Robert Gates. "Where necessary, we will take action by conducting counter-terrorism operations and sharing intelligence for the interdiction⁷ of illegal shipments of weapons or materiel."

Secretary Gates said groups that Iran supports, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, threaten the stability of Arab states as well as their main target, Israel. He also accused Iran of continuing to train and supply violent "groups trying to destabilize" Iraq's elected government.

Gates called on countries of the Persian Gulf and other regional powers - like Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon - to do more to support stability in Iraq.

"The embrace of Iraq by its fellow Gulf states will help contain the ambitions of Iran," he said. "As I have said before, the Iraqi people want to be your partners. Given the challenges in the Gulf and the reality of Iran, you should wish to be theirs."

Secretary Gates called for more intelligence-sharing and better border control to help the Iraqi government defeat the various insurgencies it faces.

He urged Middle Eastern leaders to also look beyond their region - to Afghanistan and Pakistan - where, he said, instability could also affect them, and where many of the countries represented at the meeting have already provided help.

"We're grateful for that assistance, but urge you to do more, to improve Afghan governance, reconstruction⁸, economic development and security capacity," said Gates. "The application of more resources, improved cooperation, a better integrated civil, military and diplomatic strategy, and the benefit of lessons learned both in [the] country and in Iraq, present a historic but fleeting⁹ opportunity to turn the situation in Afghanistan around. I hope you will help us take that opportunity."

Secretary Gates spoke in an ornate hotel ballroom¹⁰ to the chiefs of defense forces and other senior officers arrayed in their various dress uniforms, insignia and medals. The gathering was organized by U.S. Central Command, which oversees¹¹ U.S. military operations throughout the region, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The host was the Central Command commander, General David Petraeus.

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 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。

3 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

4 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。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

7 interdiction   

n.禁止；封锁

参考例句：

• the Customs Service's drug interdiction programs 海关的毒品查禁方案
• In addition to patrol duty, blastboats are dispatched for planetary defense and interdiction missions. 除了例行巡逻，炮艇还被赋予行星防御和封锁的任务。

8 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

9 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

10 ballroom   

n.舞厅

参考例句：

• The boss of the ballroom excused them the fee.舞厅老板给他们免费。
• I go ballroom dancing twice a week.我一个星期跳两次交际舞。

11 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网