2007年VOA标准英语-Putin's Criticism of US Draws Mixed Reaction

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
02 March 2007

A senior U.S. defense¹ official says Russian President Vladimir Putin's sharp criticism of the United States in a speech last month did not succeed in creating doubts among U.S. European allies. But some analysts² believe the speech did strike a chord among many people around the world. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

It was the annual security conference in Munich, where some of the world's top leaders and senior defense experts gather to exchange views.

 
Vladimir Putin 
President Putin surprised his audience, accusing the United States of taking a militaristic and unilateral approach to world affairs, and sparking a new arms race in the process.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman was there, and he says President Putin did not accomplish what he appeared to be trying to do.

He said, "If he intended in this speech, if he intended in this prestigious³ forum⁴ to drive a wedge between the Europeans and the United States, I think it backfired."

The director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, Andrew Kuchins, agrees that European governments were generally not swayed by President Putin's speech.

But he says, a public opinion poll in Germany indicated that more than 65 percent of ordinary Germans agreed with the Russian president.

He said, "With general populations in Europe, and many other places around the world, I think many of the things Mr. Putin had to say were received well."

Kuchins says that is probably particularly true in such countries as China, Brazil and India, all of which, like Russia, want to play a larger role in world affairs and have concerns about the Bush administration's willingness to use military force.

He says the speech likely resonated in the Middle East, too, and he notes that President Putin visited three Middle Eastern countries immediately after he left Germany.

"His goal, since he became president, and what he sees now as his likely legacy⁵, was to promote a Russian recovery to ensure that Russia would be a pole in a multi-polar world, and that the United States, in particular, needs to pay attention to the interests of Russia," he said.

 
Peter Rodman 
In a VOA interview in advance of his retirement⁶ on Friday, Assistant Defense Secretary Rodman said President Putin's accusations⁷ are old and inaccurate⁸.

He says the United States has been working multi-laterally on a variety of problems, including the efforts to address growing nuclear capabilities⁹ in Iran and North Korea. Still, he says, the Putin speech is a matter for concern.

"I think this reflects a disturbing tone in Russian foreign policy, a disturbing new turn, if you will, in Russian foreign policy," he said. "So I think this was a wake-up call for our European allies and for all of us."

Rodman says the western allies should now watch closely to see what follows the speech.

He said, "Speeches are not what's decisive. What's decisive are actions. And so we wait to see if some of this rhetoric¹⁰ is backed up by disturbing action."

Rodman says the United States wants to continue to build a constructive¹¹ relationship with Russia.

 
Robert Gates
That comment reflects the cautious response to President Putin offered by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who spoke¹² at the Munich conference the following day.

"The real world we inhabit is different, and a much more complex world than that of 20 or 30 years ago," he said. "We all face many common problems and challenges that must be addressed in partnership¹³ with other countries, including Russia."

At a U.S. Senate hearing this week, the new U.S. intelligence director, Mike McConnell, had a somewhat more ominous¹⁴ analysis of what was behind the Putin speech.

He said, "Those that he is listening to are extremely conservative, and very suspicious of the United States, and interpret things through a lens that portrays¹⁵ Russia as the downtrodden, or [that] we're trying to hold them back to the advantage of the United States. And my reading of that is that they're not interpreting the lens correctly."

The Interfax news agency reports a Russian Foreign Ministry¹⁶ spokesman called McConnell's comments "old, outdated¹⁷" and "not based on anything."

In the VOA interview, Peter Rodman said it was clear to him that the sentiments in the speech reflected President Putin's personal views.

"I also saw him mark it up," he said. "He was marking up his text before he went on, so I think this speech reflects his real thoughts. It wasn't just something prepared by others."

Russia expert Andrew Kuchins agrees with that, saying the views and style reflect many other Putin speeches he has heard, read and analyzed¹⁸.

He said, "That was pure Putin, pure Putin, unadulterated, unplugged. And unfortunately, it does strike a chord around the world."

But Kuchins says the speech will likely not be well received in eastern and central Europe, where he says new western allies remain wary¹⁹ of any Russian effort to assert itself more strongly.

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 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。

3 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

8 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

9 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

10 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

11 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

14 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

15 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

17 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

18 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 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。