2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Trip to South Asia Underscores the Ar

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, D.C.
27 February 2006
 
watch report on South Asia Trip

President Bush will soon be visiting India and Pakistan, two countries he says are important for the economic and national security of the United States.  VOA's Peter Fedynsky takes a closer look at some of the issues Mr. Bush is expected to discuss during his first trip to the Asian Subcontinent.

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President Bush speaking last week about his upcoming trip to India and Pakistan  
  

Terrorism, trade, democracy, education, and health are among the priorities President Bush mentioned during a recent speech in Washington about his trip to India and Pakistan.  He noted¹ that, "good relations with America can help both nations in their quest for peace."

"Not long ago, there was so much distrust between India and Pakistan that when America had good relations with one, it made the other one nervous,” said the president. “Changing that perception has been one of our administration's top priorities, and we're making good progress."

Energy was on the agenda during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's July visit to the United States and will be a high priority during Mr. Bush's trip to India.  The president is proposing to supply that country with reactor² fuel provided by major nuclear nations if New Delhi agrees to open its civilian³ nuclear program to international inspections⁴.  U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns was recently in the Indian capital to discuss an agreement on the issue.

The importance of nuclear security was underscored on Thursday during a conference of South Asia experts at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. think tank, where scholar Stephen Cohen asked, how many nuclear weapons are enough?

"That's a decision the Indians have to make themselves and nobody is trying to tell them how much is enough.  On the other hand, the decision that India makes will affect the security and safety of many other countries, in particular, if the Indian nuclear weapons program starts generating thousands as opposed to hundreds of nuclear weapons," Mr. Cohen said.

On economic security, Mr. Bush said that increased trade would benefit Americans, bring prosperity to India, and reduce the appeal of radical⁵ Islam in Pakistan.  He called Pakistan a key ally in the war on terror and emphasized the U.S. commitment to helping⁶ that country strengthen its institutions of civil society.  He said some of those institutions already exist.

"Pakistan still has a distance to travel on the road to democracy, yet it has some fundamental institutions that a democracy requires. Pakistan has a lively and generally free press. I'm confident I will hear from them on my trip to Pakistan," joked Mr. Bush.

President Bush says he will call on the leaders of India and Pakistan to use what he called an historic opportunity to work toward lasting⁷ peace over the disputed territory of Kashmir.  He added that America supports a resolution in Kashmir that is acceptable to both sides. 

Karl Inderfurth, the Clinton Administration's Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, said the Kashmiris themselves must not be forgotten. "There are actually three parts of this equation; India-Pakistan, which have to negotiate this, but also the Kashmiri people -- their interests and their concerns must also be taken into account."

Inderfurth says that visits by two successive American presidents to the Asian subcontinent: President Clinton's in March 2000 and George W. Bush's six years later, emphasize the strategic and economic importance of the area to the United States and the entire world.

1 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。

2 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。