VOA标准英语2013--US, Pakistan Face Challenges to Keep Relations Steady

 

US, Pakistan Face Challenges to Keep Relations Steady

 

Pakistan’s new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said in his first speech to Parliament that he would end U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.  Later, the new government summoned a top U.S. diplomat¹ to protest a recent U.S. drone strike.  

This signals that stopping the drone strikes is going to be one of the top priorities of Nawaz Sharif’s government.  How will this be viewed in Washington?

Woodrow Wilson Center scholar Bill Milam was the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan in 1999 when Sharif’s government was toppled in a military coup².

"I think that Prime Minister Sharif would be ill advised to make it a big issue when there are so many others on his plate, including the economy," he stated. "Including his relations with the military, and I could name a number of others."

While the United States considers using drones an effective tactic³ to take out dangerous al-Qaida and Taliban operatives allegedly enjoying safe havens⁴ in Pakistan’s lawless tribal⁵ areas, Pakistan said these strikes are a violation⁶ of its sovereignty.

Some analysts⁷ said Pakistan’s concerns are not misplaced but that it will have to work with the United States to solve this issue.

"I think, if anything, to give Nawaz Sharif the benefit of the doubt, would be that he might come out very loudly opposing the strikes but at the same time having a conversation with the U.S. government about how to handle this," said Daniel Markey, of the Council on Foreign Relations. "It’s not a simple problem."

He also thinks that the two countries should now focus more on ways to help Pakistan’s fragile economy.

"The United States could in fact do better on the trade front with Pakistan.  It could provide favorable access to Pakistani goods, particularly textiles, into U.S. markets.  This is something that would really benefit Pakistan," noted⁸ Markey.

In recent years, relations between Pakistan and the United States suffered from a serious trust defict.  The operation to kill Osama bin⁹ Laden¹⁰ inside Pakistan without letting Pakistani authorities know highlighted this lack of trust.  Ambassador Milam said both sides should work to rebuild that trust.

"All we can do on both sides is to be open and honest and transparent¹¹ as possible.  We can work together, and that’s important because Pakistan is important to us in national security terms," Milam said.

With 2014 looming¹², Washington will need Islamabad's help to safely exit Afghanistan, while Pakistan will need U.S. help to overcome economic and energy challenges.  This kind of mutual¹³ cooperation will require some creative thinking in the two capitals so that future relations are better than their recent past relationship.

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

3 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

4 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

6 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

7 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。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

10 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

11 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

12 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

13 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。