VOA常速英语2017--美国关于应对全球性挑战的几个方案（在线收听）

The world is getting smaller. And that means that too often, regional conflicts and threats to peace that only a few decades ago would have quickly burned themselves out, thanks to new technologies, as well as ease of travel and global communication, can now quickly turn into a global threat.

世界正变得越来越小。而这也意味着，几十年前能够很快自我平息的地区冲突与和平威胁，会由于新科技的出现以及交通和全球通信的便捷而迅速成为全球性威胁。

Global threats require a global response, and that is why the United States works in partnership with other countries. But “complex challenges require new approaches to working together with U.S. allies and partners worldwide to promote international peace and security,” writes public affairs specialist at the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs David McKeeby, in a recent blog post. One way to do this is to more effectively link diplomacy and defense, thus finding new avenues by which to deliver the tools and training that strengthen our allies' capabilities to adapt and respond to these challenges.

全球性威胁需要全球作出响应，这也是美国与其他多个国家合作的原因。但“复杂的挑战需要美国采用新的方式与其全世界的盟友及伙伴进行合作，以推动全球和平与稳定，” 国务院政治军事事务局的公共事务专家大卫麦基(David McKeeby)比在他最近的一篇博客中写道。实现这一目标的方法之一是将外交与国防更有效地连接起来，从而找到新的方法，为我们的盟友提供工具和培训，增强他们适应和应对上述复杂挑战的能力。

The United States has several programs to achieve this goal. First, we offer numerous grants to help our partners invest in U.S. equipment and training, including funding for peacekeeping operations aimed at helping nations recover from conflict. The funds come from 6 billion dollars' worth of Security Assistance programs administered by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Foreign Military Financing.

为了实现这一目标，美国启动了几个方案。首先，我们提供大量的资助，以帮助我们的伙伴们对美国的设备和培训进行投资，其中包括旨在让战乱国家恢复秩序的维和行动资金。这笔资金划拨自60亿的安全援助项目，该项目由政治军事局对外军事资助部门负责。

Second, the Foreign Military Sales system is an essential U.S. foreign policy tool. It is a form of security assistance that allows the United States to transfer defense equipment and services to our partners worldwide, once the President formally finds that doing so will strengthen the security of the U.S. and promote world peace.

其次，对外军售系统也是美国不可或缺的外交政策工具。对外军售系统是一种安全援助形式，能让我们向全世界的合作伙伴转让国防设备和服务，一旦总统真正发现这样做能够加强美国的安全并促进世界和平。

Then there is the Lead Nation Procurement Initiative, a pilot program that allows our NATO allies to transfer to other NATO members, military equipment purchased from the United States. The goal is to maintain flexibility, keep down costs, yet still be able to keep track of the equipment. We have also updated forty-year-old rules regarding U.S. disbursement of defense equipment and services, to speed up the delivery of spare parts.

再次还有领导国采购倡议，这是一个试点项目，能让我们北约盟国向其他北约内的盟国转让从美国购买的军事设备。该项目的目标是保证灵活性、压低价格，同时还能跟踪设备动态。此外，为了加快零部件的交付，我们更新了关于美国提供国防设备和服务的四十年规则。

“While we cannot see what lies ahead in 2017,” writes David McKeeby, “you can count on the United States' continued commitment to expanding these partnerships to meet new and emerging security challenges.”

“虽然我们不知道2017年会发生什么，”大卫写道，“但大家还是可以信赖美国关于扩大伙伴关系以应对新兴安全挑战的持久承诺。”