VOA常速英语2017--副总统彭斯在爱沙尼亚发表讲话

On his recent trip to Estonia, Vice¹ President Mike Pence reiterated² America's support for Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania saying, America stands with the nations and the people of the Baltic States—and always will.

近日出访爱沙尼亚期间，美国副总统彭斯重申美国会支持爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚和立陶宛。他表示，美国支持波罗的海三国及其人民，并将永远如此。

For the better part of the last century, the Baltic nations were occupied by the Soviet³ Union, which tried to eradicate⁴ the identity, traditions, and language of the people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Throughout those years of brutal⁵ occupation, the United States refused to recognize the Soviet Union's annexation⁶ of the Baltic States.

上个世纪的大部分时期，波罗的海三国都被苏联占领着。苏联企图抹去爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚和立陶宛人民的身份、传统和语言。这些年苏联残暴占领期间，美国一直拒绝承认苏联对波罗的海三国的吞并行径。

Thirteen years ago, the Baltic States joined NATO. Today, Estonia is one of five nations that meet the NATO benchmark of spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense⁷. By the end of 2018, Latvia and Lithuania will join Estonia in meeting this goal.

13年前，波罗的海三国加入了北约组织。如今，爱沙尼亚是为数不多的5个满足北约基准的国家之一，该基准就是将GDP的至少2%用于国防建设。2018年年底之前，拉脱维亚和立陶宛也将实现这个基准目标。

As the U.S. Vice President noted⁸, the specter of aggression⁹ from Russia still looms¹⁰ large in the region. At this very moment, said Vice President Pence, Russia continues to seek to redraw international borders by force, undermine the democracies of sovereign nations, and divide the free nations of Europe one against another.

正如副总统所说，俄罗斯侵略的魔爪依然在该地区影响深远。副总统彭斯表示，在这个特别的时刻，俄罗斯依然企图用武力来重新规划国际边界，破坏主权国家的民主，让欧洲各个自由国家之间彼此分裂。

President Trump¹¹ has called on Russia to cease its aggression in Ukraine and will continue to hold Russia accountable for its destabilizing actions.

特朗普总统呼吁俄罗斯停止对乌克兰的侵略，并将继续让俄罗斯为自己破坏稳定的行为负责。

The preference of the United States is a constructive¹² relationship with Russia based on common interests. Russia, too, has said that it would like to normalize relations with the United States. But the President and Congress are unified¹³ in their message: A better relationship and the lifting of sanctions will require Russia to reverse the actions that caused sanctions to be imposed in the first place.

美国倾向于与俄罗斯构建一种基于共同利益的建设性关系。而俄罗斯也表示愿意与美国实现正常化的关系。但特朗普总统和国会都在一件事情上达成了一致：要促进两国关系并解除制裁，首先需要俄罗斯转变导致制裁的行为。

Be assured, said Vice President Mike Pence, The United States rejects any attempt to use force, threats, intimidation¹⁴, or malign¹⁵ influence in the Baltic States or against any of our treaty allies. The United States will stand firmly behind its collective defense obligations under NATO's Article 5.

副总统彭斯表示，请大家放心，美国拒绝任何依靠暴力、威胁、恐吓和恶意影响的企图，无论是对波罗的海三国还是对我们通过协定缔结的盟友。美国将坚定致力于其在北约第5条款下共同承担国防责任的承诺。

As President Trump made clear in Poland, the fight begins with our minds, our wills, and our souls. If we steel our minds, strengthen our wills, and refresh our souls, the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive, our civilization will triumph.

正如特朗普总统在波兰明确表示的那样，这场战斗始于我们的思维、意志和灵魂。如果我们强化自己的意志，抖擞我们的精神，那么西方国家将永远坚不可摧。我们的价值观将风靡全球。我们的人民将福祉不断，我们的文明将屹立不倒。

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

5 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

6 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

7 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。

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 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

10 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

13 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。

14 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

15 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。