2006年VOA标准英语-Rice in Sydney For US-Japan-Australia Secu

By David Gollust
Sydney
15 March 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice deplanes after touching¹ down in Sydney, Australia, Wednesday, March 15, 2006   
  
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Sydney at the start of a three-day Australia visit highlighted by security talks with her Australian and Japanese counterparts. Talks will include regional issues including China's emergence² as an Asia-Pacific power.

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The secretary, on the final leg of a globe circling trip, opens talks here Thursday with Prime Minister John Howard to, among other things, thank Australia for its support for U.S. efforts in Iraq.

With violence increasing amid a danger of an Iraqi civil war, the United States is anxious to retain as many members of the multinational³ coalition⁴ as possible. Australian Defense⁵ Minister Brendan Nelson promised this week the Australian contingent⁶, numbering about 1,300 troops in and near Iraq, will remain well into 2007.

Rice has faced critical questions about Iraq on her overseas trip, which began late last week in Chile and included her first visit to Indonesia, the world's largest majority-Muslim country, as Secretary of State.

In an appearance before an Indonesian foreign affairs group Wednesday in Jakarta, Rice urged patience on the part of the international community for the process of Iraqi democracy-building amid terrorism.

"In Indonesia, you've had a long history of getting to democracy. We owe the Iraqi people our confidence that they're going to be able to do it," she said. "Every time they have been confronted by the terrorists, every time they have been confronted by Zarqawi or by the lieutenants⁷ of bin⁸ Laden⁹ with an effort to break them apart and to start what Zarqawi and his people would like to do, a civil war, the Iraqi's have drawn¹⁰ together, they have not split apart."

In a visit highlighting regional security efforts, the secretary is to be joined by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for a briefing and lunch Thursday aboard the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser the Port Royal, one of two American ships making a port call in Sydney.

Saturday, Rice and Downer will be joined by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro¹¹ Aso for a meeting of the Pacific allies Trilateral Strategic Dialogue.

The Secretary of State said before leaving Washington that China's military and economic rise will be a focus of the three-way meeting since it is the major force driving regional changes. She said the United States and its allies have a responsibility to try and produce conditions under which China's emergence will be a positive, not negative, force in international politics. She also said the three countries would examine whether China's military buildup is not outsized for its regional ambitions and interests.

The remarks drew criticism from some policy analysts¹² as antagonistic¹³ to China. Foreign Ministers Downer said Wednesday the three powers will be looking not at containing China, but making sure that its growing power is harnessed to the advantage of the region.

The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between China and Japan after Foreign Minister Aso this week in a parliamentary committee appearance referred to Taiwan as a country.

China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, condemned¹⁴ the Japanese ministers comment as brutal¹⁵ interference in its internal affairs.

1 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

2 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

3 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 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。

6 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

7 lieutenants   

n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员

参考例句：

• In the army, lieutenants are subordinate to captains. 在陆军中，中尉是上尉的下级。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Lieutenants now cap at 1.5 from 1. Recon at 1. 中尉现在由1人口增加的1.5人口。侦查小组成员为1人口。 来自互联网

8 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

9 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 antagonistic   

adj.敌对的

参考例句：

• He is always antagonistic towards new ideas.他对新思想总是持反对态度。
• They merely stirred in a nervous and wholly antagonistic way.他们只是神经质地，带着完全敌对情绪地骚动了一下。

14 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

15 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。