VOA标准英语2009-Russian Activists Concerned Obama May Pursue

Although President Obama has yet to detail his Russia policy, the Kremlin says it is receiving positive signals from his administration about the prospects¹ for resetting³ the relationship between Moscow and Washington. But Russian civic⁴ activists⁶ are concerned Mr. Obama may pursue pragmatic policies that could advance bilateral⁷ interests, but not the principles of democracy in their country. Our Moscow correspondent takes a closer look at some of the issues involved in President Obama's upcoming visit to Russia.
　
US Pres. Barack Obama (R) and Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev after their 01 Apr 2009 meeting in London, ahead of the G20 summit

In May, President Obama told visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the United States and Russia have an excellent opportunity to reset² the bilateral relationship on many issues.

"…from nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation; the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan; how we approach Iran; how we approach the Middle East; commercial ties between the two countries; and, how we address the financial crisis that has put such a strain on the economies of all countries around the world," Mr. Obama said.

Foreign Minister Lavrov responded favorably.

"I think we work in a very pragmatic, businesslike way, on the basis of common interests whenever our positions coincide; and, on the basis of respect to each other whenever we have disagreements, trying to narrow those disagreements for the benefit of our countries and international stability," Lavrov said.

One major common interest is reducing nuclear arsenals⁸. The U.S. and Russian presidents are to receive a progress report on a new agreement to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Progress on START could lead to closer cooperation on other issues -- says Viktor Kremenyuk, of Moscow's USA-Canada Institute.

Kremenyuk says he thinks Mr. Obama is doing the right thing in making offensive strategic weapons and a new START treaty his priority. The analyst⁹ says, if this issue can be resolved, it can open the possibility of addressing other problems -- problems such as preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- a top U.S. foreign policy priority. Also up for grabs is the proposed missile-defense system, which Moscow strongly opposed when the Bush Administration proposed deployment¹⁰ in Central Europe.

Police in Russia often use force to break up opposition¹¹ demonstrations¹², raising the question of how the Kremlin deals with dissent¹³ and human rights. Russian civic activists say the issue should be at the top of Mr. Obama's agenda, but fear it will not.

In March, President Medvedev met in the Kremlin with former U.S. Senators Chuck Hagel and Gary Hart -- members of the bipartisan Commission on U.S. Policy Toward Russia. Although the commission urges Mr. Obama to raise human rights, it also recommends he respect Russia's sovereignty, history and traditions.

Igor Klyamkin, of the Liberal Mission Foundation in Moscow, told VOA the commission may be parroting the rhetoric¹⁴ of Kremlin officials, without regard for the hidden meaning of their words.

Klyamkin says what they mean is that democracy and rule of law are alien to Russia; that its values and traditions are autocratic and authoritarian¹⁵ rule. The activist⁵ says, by using the same words [as the Kremlin], Americans indicate agreement with that kind of Russia.

Viktor Kremenyuk agrees his country must democratize, if it is to modernize¹⁶ its economy. But he says outside pressure could be counterproductive.

Kremenyuk says the idea of democratization has not had much of a response in Russia; it has not gotten through to ordinary people or to those in power. He adds that to demand observance of certain rules under such conditions will look like fundamental interference in the internal affairs of Russia.

A report by the U.S. Russia Commission says Moscow's war with Georgia and its pressure on Ukraine have been troubling, but cautions against making the region a political battlefield that could have dangerous unintended consequences. Igor Klyamkin says an authoritarian Russia has an interest in an unstable¹⁷ Ukraine, to demonstrate that democracy does not work.

Klyamkin says that approach encourages preservation¹⁸ of an authoritarian regime in Russia, which does not correspond with the country's national interests.

During the American presidential campaign, candidate Barack Obama said the United States should not shy away from pushing for more democracy and transparency in Russia. How hard he pushes as president should become clear when he visits the country, next month.

1 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

2 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

3 resetting   

v.重新安放或安置( reset的现在分词 )；重拨（测量仪器指针）；为（考试、测试等）出一套新题；重新安置，将…恢复原位

参考例句：

• Range represents the maximum strain which can be recorded without resetting or replacing the strain gage. 量程表示无需重调或重装应变计就能记录到的最大应变。 来自辞典例句
• Adding weight to the puddle jumper by resetting its inertial dampeners. 通过调节飞船的惯性装置来增加重量。 来自电影对白

4 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 arsenals   

n.兵工厂，军火库( arsenal的名词复数 )；任何事物的集成

参考例句：

• We possess-each of us-nuclear arsenals capable of annihilating humanity. 我们两国都拥有能够毁灭全人类的核武库。 来自辞典例句
• Arsenals are factories that produce weapons. 军工厂是生产武器的工厂。 来自互联网

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

13 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

14 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

15 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

16 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

17 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

18 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。