VOA常速英语2013--英国武器销售创新高 但面临窘境（在线收听）

Britain's Arms Sales Are Boon, but Pose Predicament 英国武器销售创新高 但面临窘境

LONDON — A recent report from the British Parliament says the country has arms sales contracts with six countries it has designated as having poor human rights records - and several others with questionable records. The document highlights a dilemma faced by all arms-exporting countries.

The British news media used strong language to report the story, and graphics to show where the country’s military equipment is being sold.  

英国新闻媒体使用强硬措辞来报道这一事件,而且配以图表展示该国的军备销售情况。

It seemed embarrassing, but it was not surprising to experts, like War Studies Research Associate Jack McDonald, of London’s King’s College.

看起来有点尴尬,但这并不令专家们感到意外,比如伦敦金学院战争研究助理杰克·麦克唐纳就是如此。

“The problem that the UK finds itself in is the same one that any arms exporting country finds itself in, which is that the biggest buyers tend to have human rights records that we would consider fall short of our own standards,” said McDonald.

“英国发现自己的问题其实和任何出口武器的国家一样,就是最大的买家往往有我们会考虑低于我们标准的人权记录,”麦克唐纳说道。

In recent months, Western plans for military sales to the Syrian opposition have gotten a lot of attention, particularly as its militant elements have grown. Russia has condemned the plan.  

最近几个月,西方对叙利亚反对派的军事销售计划已经引起多方关注,特别是其激进元素已经增长。俄罗斯已经发表声明谴责该计划。

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “The European Union, in fact, is pouring more fuel on the fire of this conflict and damaging the prospects for convening a peace conference.”

俄罗斯外交部副部长谢尔盖·雅伯科夫说道:“事实上, 欧盟是在这次冲突上火上浇油并且破坏召集和平会议的前景。”

At the same time, Russian sales of anti-aircraft missiles to the Syrian government have drawn criticism from the West, and from Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin during a visit to Moscow. "Israel is expressing a grave concern about prospects of such deliveries. We asked for deliveries to be suspended until the situation stabilizes,” said Elkin.

与此同时,俄罗斯对于叙利亚政府防空导弹的销售已经引来了西方及访问莫斯科期间的以色列副外长泽夫·埃尔金的批评。“以色列表达对于这样交付前景的严重关切。我们要求交付暂停,直到情况趋于稳定,”埃尔金说道。

Meanwhile, China is becoming an ever larger player in the global arms trade and is also being asked to justify its decisions.

与此同时,中国正扮演着全球武器贸易中更大的角色,而且被要求证明其决策。

“On the issue of arms exports, China has always taken a responsible and prudent attitude, adhering to U.N. Security Council resolutions and international law,” said Hong Lei, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman.

“中国政府在武器出口的问题上历来采取十分慎重的态度,一贯严格遵守联合国安理会决议和国际法。”中国外交部发言人洪磊表示。

The manufacture and sale of military equipment is important to the economies and defense programs of major countries. And officials say exports give them influence in troubled parts of the world. However, McDonald says it’s not that simple.

制造及出售武器对于主要国家的经济和国防项目十分重要。而官员称出口为世界动荡地区造成了影响。然而, 麦克唐纳表示远非这样简单。

“Although selling arms to these countries gives us some leverage with them, I don’t think it’s axiomatic that they’re going to change their human rights records or accept our version of what human rights are,” he said.

“尽管出售武器给这些国家带给我们一些优势,我认为这是不公正的,他们会改变他们的人权记录或者接受我们版本的什么是人权。”他说道。

It’s a delicate balance to strike, with countless lives and the future of nations at stake, leaving arms-selling countries in a permanent quandary and under criticism for virtually any decision they make. 

这是一种微妙的平衡,随着无数的生命和国家的未来岌岌可危,销售武器的国家面临永久的窘境和他们实际上做出任何决定的批评。