VOA标准英语2012--Cash-Strapped Pentagon to Boost Latin American Partnerships

Cash-Strapped Pentagon to Boost Latin American Partnerships²

Defense³ Secretary Leon Panetta stopped first in Colombia, where U.S. trained commandos welcomed him with a hostage rescue demonstration⁴ and other maneuvers⁵ at a base two hours from Bogota.

Colombian forces, with billions of dollars in U.S. training and equipment, have made major progress against drug traffickers and armed groups. The country is quickly shedding its violent image. Colombian troops now are passing on their experience by training security forces of other Latin American nations.

Handing off more responsibility to its regional partners is what the United States wants at a time when its defense budget is shrinking and the threats of drug trafficking and terrorism are growing as are other threats to regional stability.

Venezuela and its military buildup was not on the official agenda, but Panetta voiced concerns over what he said is that country's lack of transparency. "The United States does not object to the development of a strong military that provides security and that helps establish regional security. So, what Venezuela is doing in strengthening their military, we don't object to the fact that they are strengthening their military. What we would be concerned about is how they use that military in this part of the world," he said.

Panetta stopped next in Brazil, where the U.S. is seeking help in training the armed forces of African nations against a growing threat by terrorist groups.

The defense secretary spoke⁶ to officers at a war college in Rio de Janeiro. 

"This is a relationship, the United States and Brazil, the relationship between two global powers, and we welcome Brazil's growing strength. We support Brazil as a global leader, and seek closer defense cooperation because we believe that a stronger and more globally engaged Brazil will help enhance international security for all of us," Penetta said.

Panetta is urging Brazil to buy advanced U.S. Super Hornet fighter jets, while Brazil wants the United States to purchase the Brazilian Super Tucano fighter aircraft for use by Afghan forces.

Panetta ended his tour in Chile, where he reinforced an already strong partnership¹ with one of America's closest allies in the region. 

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

6 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。