VOA标准英语2013--克里着力培养与巴基斯坦的良好关系

 

克里着力培养与巴基斯坦的良好关系

During his recent trip to Islamabad, Secretary of State John Kerry said the relationship the United States seeks with Pakistan goes beyond a transactional one based only on a few discrete¹ issues. “We want,” he said, “a relationship with the people of Pakistan for the long term.”

After meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Foreign Affairs Advisor² Sartaj Aziz, Secretary Kerry spoke³ to reporters and congratulated the Pakistani people on their election this spring that saw the first transfer of power in the country’s history from one civilian⁴ government to another.

He acknowledged that Pakistan and the United States have experienced differences in the last few years, but said, “We cannot allow events that might divide us in a small way to distract from the common values and the common interests that unite us in big ways:”

“We are working closely with the new government in order to advance a shared vision of the future that is marked by peace, by stability, and by prosperity.”

Mr. Kerry announced that the U.S. and Pakistan have agreed to resume their Strategic Dialogue “in order to foster a deeper, broader and more comprehensive partnership⁵ between our countries,” a partnership that covers a broad range of issues, including energy, education, trade and investment, as well as Afghanistan and counterterrorism.

He thanked Pakistan for its assistance in the Afghan reconciliation⁶ process, noting that Pakistan and the United States both have an interest in a unified⁷ and stable Afghanistan.

Secretary Kerry also acknowledged the great loss to Pakistan of more than 40,000 people who were killed by terrorists over the past decade, and he noted⁸ that Pakistan “cannot achieve its full economic potential until it overcomes extremism and extremist threats within its borders.”

On behalf of President Barack Obama, Secretary Kerry extended an invitation to Prime Minister Sharif to meet with Mr. Obama this fall in the United States for a bilateral⁹ meeting to continue “our important bilateral conversation at the highest levels.”

“What was important today, said Secretary Kerry, “was that there was a determination by the United States and by Pakistan to move this relationship to the full partnership that it ought to be and to find the ways to deal with…individual issues that have been irritants over the course of the past years…I believe the Prime Minster is serious about doing that. I know President Obama is.”

1 discrete   

adj.个别的，分离的，不连续的

参考例句：

• The picture consists of a lot of discrete spots of colour.这幅画由许多不相连的色点组成。
• Most staple fibers are discrete,individual entities.大多数短纤维是不联系的单独实体。

2 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。

3 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。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 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。

6 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

7 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

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 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。