VOA标准英语2010年-Calderon to Make State Visit to Washin

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon speaks at Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City, Monday, April 19, 2010

Mexican President Felipe Calderon will be in Washington Wednesday and Thursday for a state visit that will include an address to a joint¹ session of Congress.  Mr. Calderon's trip comes as both nations publicly claim greater cooperation in tackling violence stemming from cross-border drug trafficking, as well as immigration and trade issues. 

Both presidents consider their efforts crucial to future generations of Americans and Mexicans.

And Presidents Barack Obama and Felipe Calderon have pledged cooperation on a wide range of issues - especially border security aimed at battling drug and gun trafficking, and the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

"We have to acknowledge that we live in a common house, in a common region. And the future of one country will be tied to the other," said Juan Pardinis, with the Woodrow Wilson International Center's Mexico Institute. 

He said Mexico should push for labor² reforms and better education to give its youth viable³, legal alternatives to the drug trade.

And the U.S. Congress should approve more funding to Mexico for training, equipment and other initiatives to fight the drug trade.

Since December 2006, Mr. Calderon has deployed⁴ more than 45,000 troops to combat the drug cartels. But escalating⁵ violence has killed more than 22,000 people since then.

No new initiatives are expected during Mr. Calderon's visit.

"Overall, this will be a meeting about reaffirming the status quo, reaffirming the progress that's being made on lots of different issues, but not one with a big ambitious agenda," said Shannon O'Neil, who is with the Council on Foreign Relations. She says Mr. Calderon will likely restate his opposition⁶ to a new law in the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona that requires immigrants to carry registration⁷ documents at all times. Both Mr. Calderon and Mr. Obama say the measure encourages unfair profiling of Mexicans.

But O'Neil says the Obama administration must not allow Mr. Calderon's criticism to deflect⁸ attention from joint U.S.-Mexican successes, especially in the war on drugs. "They need to validate⁹ that this is the way forward with Mexico, and in general, by being seen together and talking about things in a quite positive way that it is worth this investment in security," she said.

Mr. Calderon's term in office ends in two years. Some analysts¹¹ see him as a "lame¹² duck" president with a keen interest in support from Washington.

Political analyst¹⁰ Denise Dresser said, "He wants American validation¹³ for the war on drugs. He wants a big pat on the back. He wants recognition for his boldness, bravery,  his willingness to take on organized crime, at a time when the war on drugs is increasingly unpopular in his own country. I think Felipe Calderon is coming here with the hope that once President Obama embraces him and says all the right things in terms of applauding what he has done right over the past three years. he can bolster¹⁴ his political legitimacy¹⁵."

A recent poll in Mexico (by the GEA-ISA firm) shows that 52 percent of Mexicans would support the comeback of the PRI party, after 12 years of rule by Mr. Calderon's National Action Party.
 

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

8 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。

9 validate   

vt.（法律）使有效，使生效

参考例句：

• You need an official signature to validate the order.你要有正式的签字，这张汇票才能生效。
• In order to validate the agreement,both parties sign it.为使协议有效，双方在上面签了字。

10 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。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

13 validation   

n.确认

参考例句：

• If the countdown timer ever hits zero, do your validation processing. 处理这种情况的方法是在输入的同时使用递减计时器，每次击键重新计时。如果递减计时器变为零，就开始验证。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Although the validation control is a very widespread idiom, most such controls can be improved. 虽然确认控件是非常广泛的习惯用法，但还有很多有待改进的地方。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

14 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

15 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。