2006年VOA标准英语-Rumsfeld Has No Problem with UAE Company R

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
21 February 2006

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he has no problem with the U.S. government decision to allow a company from the United Arab Emirates to take over a contract to operate six major American sea ports. The decision has raised security concerns among some in Congress and the media, but Secretary Rumsfeld told a news conference Tuesday Americans should not be wary² of Middle Eastern countries just because some of their citizens are involved in terrorism.

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Donald Rumsfeld (r) and General Peter Pace  
  

Many commentators³ and members of Congress, including many Republicans, have questioned the decision by an inter-agency committee, noting that two of the men who hijacked⁴ U.S. airliners⁵ on September 11, 2001 were from the United Arab Emirates. But Secretary Rumsfeld questioned the validity of that analysis.

"One ought not, in my view, hold a country of origin responsible for every citizen they may have at any given time, particularly when people have multiple passports," said Donald Rumsfeld.

The secretary noted⁶ that even Americans have been apprehended⁷ for involvement in terrorism. He also said the United States has an extensive defense relationship with the United Arab Emirates, which has helped in the war on terrorism.

"We all deal with the UAE on a regular basis," he said. "It's a country that has been involved in the global war on terror with us. It's a country that we have facilities that we use. And it's a country that was very responsive to assist in [Hurricane] Katrina, one of the early countries that did that. And [it's] a country that we have very close military-to-military relations [with], as well as political and economic relations."

At the same news conference, the top U.S. military officer, General Peter Pace, also praised the United Arab Emirates for its extensive military cooperation with the United States.

"The military-to-military relationship with the United Arab Emirates is superb," said General Pace. "They've got great seaports⁸, capable of handling, and do, our aircraft carriers. They've got air fields that they allow us to use, and their airspace, their logistics support. They've got a world class air-to-air training facility that they let us use, and [we] cooperate with them in the training of our pilots. In everything that we have asked them and worked with them on, they have proven to be very, very solid partners."

Secretary Rumsfeld also said countries learn that dealing⁹ with the United States has "advantages and disadvantages." He said the open debate and public charges can be a disadvantage, but that usually, in his words, "the truth comes out."

1 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。

2 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

3 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

5 airliners   

n.客机，班机( airliner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fog grounded the airliners. 大雾迫使班机停飞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They placed very stable and accurate atomic clocks on regularly scheduled jet airliners. 他们将非常稳定、准确的原子钟装在定期飞行的喷气式班机上。 来自辞典例句

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 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

8 seaports   

n.海港( seaport的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Airports have joined seaports as ports of entry for the visiting foreigner. 机场和海港一样成为来访的外国人的入境关口。 来自互联网
• Sanya has 16 seaports, 10 islands and 180km of coastline. 三亚有16个港口、10个海岛和180公里的海岸线。 来自互联网

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。