VOA标准英语2010年-Clinton to Meet Japanese FM in Hawaii

The secretary's speech at the U.S.-sponsored East-West Center in Honolulu comes as the Obama administration nears the end of a first year in office that Clinton says gave substance to its pledges to re-engage with Asia-Pacific nations.

The Clinton trip is her fourth to a region she says felt neglected by the United States during the Bush administration, and is now breathing a collective "sigh of relief" at the resumption of active U.S. engagement.

In a talk with reporters en route to Hawaii, she said there is universal recognition that China is a "rising power of the 21st century" and that other Asian countries want to see the United States involved in the region as a force for peace and a guarantor of stability as that rise occurs.

Clinton said the Obama administration seeks a mature relationship with China, one that "doesn't go off the rails" despite differences with Beijing about American arms sales to Taiwan and an expected meeting next month between President Obama and Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

"It has been American policy and will remain American policy that we will provide defensive¹ arms for Taiwan," she said. "We have a different perspective on the role and ambitions of the Dalai Lama, which we've been very public about, in expressing that we do not support any claims on the sovereignty or territorial² integrity of China.  You know we reject that but we support the legitimate³ desire for cultural and religious respect and autonomy.  And, those are views that are consonant⁴ with our values."

Clinton called last year's United Nations sanctions resolution against North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons tests a tangible⁵ result of U.S. Asian diplomacy⁶ and expressed hope it will be a milestone⁷ toward resumption of Chinese-sponsored six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program.

She dismissed renewed North Korean calls for peace treaty talks with the United States as a prelude⁸ to Pyongyang's return to nuclear negotiations⁹, saying the six-party framework provides for discussions on new security arrangements for the region.

"My hope is that the Chinese will call for a resumption of the six-party talks at some point in the future and that, as part of the agenda for the six-party talks, there will be opportunities for these bilateral¹⁰ discussions on the margins¹¹.  And, we stand ready to have those discussions with North Korea. But we feel strongly that the six-party talks framework needs to be re-energized and we're hoping that will happen," she said.

Clinton's meeting with her Japanese counterpart is expected to focus on the Tokyo government's discontent with an agreement signed in 2006 under which the United States would move 8,000 American troops from Okinawa to Guam and relocate others in Okinawa to ease the burden for residents of the southern Japanese island.

The process would be largely financed by Japan.

Leaders of the left-leaning coalition¹² which won Japanese elections last year campaigned for sharper reductions in the U.S. Okinawa presence, including the closure of the Futenma Marine¹³ base, a focus of Japanese criticism for its environmental impact and past criminal cases involving U.S. troops.

Since taking office last August, the government of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has softened¹⁴ the rhetoric¹⁵ on Futenma but does want to revisit the agreement.

In her comments with reporters, Clinton avoided specifics on Okinawa but said the American-Japanese security alliance, nearing its 50th anniversary January 19, is "bigger than any one issue."

The Obama administration has said on a number of occasions that it does not want to alter the base accord, the product of years of delicate negotiations.

 

1 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

2 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 consonant   

n.辅音；adj.[音]符合的

参考例句：

• The quality of this suit isn't quite consonant with its price.这套衣服的质量和价钱不相称。
• These are common consonant clusters at the beginning of words.这些单词的开头有相同辅音组合。

5 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

8 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

10 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。

11 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

12 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

13 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。

14 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

15 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。