VOA标准英语2009年-Obama in Mexico for North American Summit

U.S. President Barack Obama has arrived in Mexico for the North American Leaders Summit. Mr. Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon will attempt to coordinate¹ their efforts on a number of issues.
　
President Barack Obama, left, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon shake hands as they meet in Guadalajara, Mexico

This is President Obama's second trip south of the border in less than four months.

When Mr. Obama visited Mexico City in April, one of his aides became sick and returned home. The aide recovered, but the illness was part of the worldwide outbreak of H1N1 swine flu.

Mexico received global praise for its handling of the situation, and the United States and Mexico cooperated closely to limit the spread of the virus.

Worries about an anticipated resurgence² of swine flu in North America later this year is expected to be an urgent topic at the summit.

John Brennan, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor³ for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, says that while in Guadalajara, the three North American leaders will prepare to take their cooperation a step further.

"What President Obama is going to be doing at the summit is to be working with President Calderon and Prime Minister Harper to discuss what we are doing collaboratively to deal with the challenge, making sure that our public health departments and officials are working closely together," he said.

The North American leaders are also expected to focus on their region's economic woes⁴.

Mr. Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs and Development, Michael Froman, says the three leaders will share ideas on bolstering⁵ the regional and global economies.

"They are likely to discuss what needs to be done to assure a shared recovery and to reform the international financial institutions, and to lay the foundations for future growth," he said.

On trade issues, Froman says the Obama administration is working to ease global concerns about the "Buy American" provision that requires many of the public works projects paid for by the U.S. economic stimulus⁶ plan use materials made in the United States.

"We are in dialogue with Canada and our other trading partners about the issue to try and implement⁷ the "Buy American" provision in a way consistent with our international obligations, while minimizing disruption to trade," he said.

The flow of illegal drugs and the violence associated with it is a concern throughout North America. U.S. National Security Advisor General James Jones says the United States will continue to work closely with the Mexican government as it fights an often bloody⁸ battle against the drug syndicates.

"The Calderon government has, in fact, performed very courageously⁹ in the face of these cartels and I think, we think, that we have to do everything we can to be a helpful neighbor and partner to make sure that we are successful in this," he said.

Sunday evening's agenda includes a one-on-one meeting between Mr. Obama and his Mexican host, followed by a working dinner and a cultural event for all three leaders. Presidents Obama and Calderon, and Prime Minister Harper are scheduled to meet on Monday before the summit concludes.

No concrete action is expected from these meetings, but General Jones says, "You get in trouble when you wait too long before talking to your neighbors."

1 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

2 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

3 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

4 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

5 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句

6 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

9 courageously   

ad.勇敢地，无畏地

参考例句：

• Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下，灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪，把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
• He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危，但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。