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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates are preparing to meet with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss a U.S. missile-defense plan for Europe. The Americans will meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev during the next two days in an effort to ease tensions.

美国国务卿赖斯和美国国防部长盖茨准备在莫斯科会晤俄罗斯官员，讨论美国的欧洲导弹防御计划。赖斯和盖茨将在今后两天会见俄罗斯领导人普京和新当选的俄罗斯总统梅德韦捷夫，为缓和双方的紧张关系做出努力。

Forty minutes. That is how long President Vladimir Putin kept Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates waiting during their previous visit to Moscow last October. Their agenda then, as now, was a discussion of America's missile-defense system plans. But this time, Rice says that things will be different.

赖斯和盖茨上一次访问莫斯科是在去年十月。当时，俄罗斯总统普京让他们等候了四十分钟。那次和这次一样，赖斯和盖茨的会谈议程是讨论美国的导弹防御系统计划。但是赖斯说，这次的访问将与以往不同。

At a press conference Friday during a Latin American trip, she said the State Department has had good private discussions with the Russians. She added that there is enough interest to head out again and see if progress can be made.

赖斯星期五在访问拉丁美洲的过程中召开的一个新闻发布会上说，美国国务院与俄罗斯方面进行了有益的私下会谈。她还说，目前双方有足够的兴趣再次举行会谈，看看双方是否能够取得一些进展。

The March 17 and 18 meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will address the U.S. plan to build missile-defense facilities in Europe. Plans call for up to 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar³ system in the Czech Republic.

美国方面将于3月17日和18日与俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫、俄罗斯国防部长谢尔久科夫举行会晤，讨论美国在欧洲建立导弹防御设备的计划。该计划要在波兰建立10个导弹拦截装置，在捷克共和国建立一个雷达系统。

Last month, Mr. Putin said the U.S. plan will eliminate Russia's strategic deterrent⁴, and force a new global arms race between the two nations - one that he says could put a tremendous strain on the country's economy.

普京总统上个月说，美国的导弹防御计划将消除俄罗斯的核威摄，迫使美俄两国开始新一轮的全球军备竞赛。普京说，这会极大地影响俄罗斯的经济发展。

America has responded by saying that the missile-defense system is not intended to defend against a Russian arsenal⁵, but against a potential attack from Iran or a rogue⁶ threat.

美国方面对此回应说，美国建立导弹防御系统不是为了防御俄罗斯的军备，而是为了防御来自伊朗或无赖国家的可能袭击。

Russia has offered alternative plans, including one to build a joint⁷ Russian-American missile defense radar site in Azerbaijan. American officials have been cool to this idea.

俄罗斯提供了可供选择的其他计划，包括俄罗斯和美国在阿塞拜疆共同建立一个导弹防御雷达站。美国官员对这一计划很冷淡。

Whether the U.S. system would pose any threat to Russia remains⁸ in dispute.

美国的导弹防御系统是否会对俄罗斯造成任何威胁仍然处于争论之中。

Independent Russian military analyst⁹ Pavel Felgenhauer says many experts in Russia do not consider the proposal a threat to Russia's nuclear arsenal.

俄罗斯独立军事分析人士费根霍纳说，俄罗斯的许多专家都认为，美国的导弹防御计划不会对俄罗斯的核军备造成威胁。

He says there is no threat from 10 interceptors in Poland. He adds that if such missiles were intended to intercept² against Russia, it would be better to station them in Ireland or North Dakota, where they could intercept Russian missiles more effectively.

他说：“在波兰建立10个导弹拦截装置不会对俄罗斯造成威胁。他还说，如果这些导弹拦截装置是为了防御俄罗斯的话，那么把它们建在爱尔兰或北达科他州会更好，因为这些地方能更加有效地拦截俄罗斯的导弹。”

The possibility remains of a joint system designed to protect Russia as well as Europe and the United States from a missile attack. As discussions continue, both sides realize they will have new presidents in office within one year. This prompts Felgenhauer to predict that nothing significant will come out of this week's two-plus-two talks.

还有可能建立一个用于保护俄罗斯、欧洲和美国免受导弹袭击的共同防御系统。随着美国和俄罗斯会谈的进行，双方意识到两国都将在一年内有新总统上任。因此，费根霍纳预测说，本星期的“二加二”的会谈将不会取得任何重要进展。

U.S.-Russian relations during President Putin's two terms in office were marked by a tension over issues ranging from Kosovo's independence to Iran's nuclear program.

在普京总统的两届任期内，美俄关系因科索沃的独立和伊朗的核项目等一些问题而变得紧张。

State Department spokesman Scott McCormack said Secretaries Rice and Gates could extend the trip, should there be signs of potential progress. Other topics on their agenda include nonproliferation and counterterrorism.

美国国务院发言人麦科马克说，如果会谈有取得进展的迹象的话，美国国务卿赖斯和美国国防部长盖茨可能延长访问俄罗斯的时间。他们的会谈议题还包括防止核武器扩散和打击恐怖主义。

The meetings take place before President Bush's scheduled visit to Ukraine for discussion of possible NATO membership for the former Soviet¹⁰ republic. This topic has also been another source of U.S.-Russian tensions and is expected to be on the Rice-Gates agenda this week.

美俄会谈将在美国总统布什计划访问乌克兰之前举行。布什将访问乌克兰，讨论这个前苏联共和国可能加入北约的问题。该议题是造成美俄关系紧张的另一个原因。预计，赖斯和盖茨本星期的会谈议程也将讨论这个问题。