VOA常速英语2018--美国称自己致力于维护西半球安全稳定

The United States is continuing to actively¹ engage with its allies and partners in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. These are nations that share our democratic values and our commitment to work together for a stable and peaceful hemisphere, said Admiral Kurt Tidd, head of U.S. Southern Command.

美国依然在与其在南美、中美以及加勒比海的盟友和伙伴进行积极的交涉。这些国家与我们有同样的民主价值观，同样都致力于一道合作以实现半球的稳定与和平，美国南方司令部的司令库尔特 蒂德(Kurt Tidd)如是说道。

The region is under a variety of threats, he declared: Criminal networks leverage² all means available to move lethal³ narcotics⁴, people, weapons and dirty money into and out of Latin America and the U.S. homeland. In addition, terrorist organizations like ISIS reach into our hemisphere seeking to inspire attacks and gain recruits.

蒂德表示，该地区正面临着一系列威胁：犯罪网络动用一切可用的手段在拉美和美国本土上贩卖致命毒品、人口、武器、非法钱财。此外，IS等恐怖组织已经进入了我们的半球，意图发动袭击、招募新兵。

There is also the ever-present danger of natural disasters, which can lead to enormous humanitarian⁵ concerns.

自然灾害的危险也时刻存在着，可能会引发许多人道主义问题。

In addition, there are dangers posed by China, Russia and Iran. Admiral Tidd noted⁶ that these countries are actively seeking footholds in the region, and do not believe in the freedoms and principles that we share with democratic nations in the Western Hemisphere. Those freedoms and principles are what unite us, he said, and we are watchful⁷ for attempts by China, Russia and Iran to erode⁸ those shared principles to threaten our interests, or undermine our partnerships⁹ within the region.

此外，蒂德表示，中国、俄罗斯、伊朗也对美国构成了威胁。蒂德表示，这些国家都积极涉足该地区，并且不认同我们美国和西半球其他民主国家所共同坚信的自由和原则。这些自由和原则是将我们团结在一起的根本所在，他还表示，我们警惕这几个国家企图侵蚀我们和盟友共同坚信的原则，警惕他们破坏我们的利益和我们与该地区伙伴的关系。

These concerns are driving U.S. efforts to continue building a network of capable partners across the federal government, the Western Hemisphere, and ultimately the international community.

出于这些担心，美国依然在美国联邦政府、西半球乃至整个国际社会间构建有能力伙伴的网络。

Last year, for example, U.S. Southern Command partnered with U.S. Northern Command to cohost a Central American security conference with Mexico; in February, it hosted an opioid summit with interagency partners to identify ways to unify¹⁰ U.S. response to our nation's deadly opioid crisis.

比如，去年，美国南方司令部就与美国北方司令部合作，与墨西哥联手共同举办了中美洲安全会议；2月，该司令部还与跨部门的伙伴举办了与阿片类药物有关的峰会，以确认将美国统一在一起以应对致命阿片危机的办法。

U.S. regional partners are increasingly contributing to multinational¹¹ efforts. Last fiscal¹² year, he noted, Joint¹³ Interagency Task Force South interdicted¹⁴ 283 metric tons of cocaine¹⁵, thanks in large part to our partners in the region. And in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, U.S. Southern Command worked side-by-side with Caribbean and European partners to evacuate¹⁶ and deliver aid to thousands of victims.

美国的地区伙伴们对越来越致力于跨国工作。蒂德表示，2017财年，南方跨部门特别小组阻断了283公吨的可卡因。这项工作的成功大部分要归功于我们在该地区的各个伙伴。此外，在飓风艾尔玛和玛利亚发生后，美国南方司令部与加勒比海和欧洲各伙伴并肩合作，疏散了无数受害者，并对其进行了援助。

Admiral Tidd said the long-standing ties the United State enjoys with the nations of the Western hemisphere who share our democratic values should never be taken for granted.

蒂德表示，美国与西半球各个与我们有共同民主价值观的国家之间有着长期的联系，这种联系不应该是理所当然的。

1 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

2 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

3 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

4 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 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。

7 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

8 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

9 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

10 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

11 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

12 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

13 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。

14 interdicted   

v.禁止（行动）( interdict的过去式和过去分词 )；禁用；限制

参考例句：

• He was interdicted from acting. 他的行为受到限制。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• It is interdicted by law. 这是法律禁止的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

16 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。