2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Talks Trade in Uruguay, Defends Latin Amer

By Paula Wolfson
Montevideo, Uruguay
10 March 2007

President Bush says he is following a quiet approach to diplomacy² with Latin America that is yielding results.  VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from Montevideo, Uruguay, where the president is facing repeated questions about his regional nemesis³, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

 
US President George W. Bush, right, and President of Uruguay Tabare Vazquez wave after a news conference 10 Mar¹. 2007
President Bush went to Uruguay to talk trade, but at a news conference with President Tabare Vazquez, he was asked about Hugo Chavez.

The Venezuelan president headlined an anti-American rally Friday in Buenos Aires, just across the broad river that separates Uruguay and Argentina.

Hugo Chavez said President Bush is "politically dead," and charged the American leader is afraid to mention his name.

 
Hugo Chavez
When asked about the comments, Mr. Bush made clear he is not about to get into a shouting match with the fiery⁴ Venezuelan leader, and favors a very different approach.

"I would call our diplomacy quiet and effective diplomacy, diplomacy all aimed at helping⁵ people," said Mr. Bush.

Throughout his week-long tour of five Latin American countries, President Bush is seeking to promote programs that help democratic governments provide needed services for the poor and disadvantaged.

But here in Uruguay, one of the most prosperous countries in South America, his focus is not on aid, but trade.

Uruguay, a small country between giants Brazil and Argentina, has a growing economy and a highly regarded system for providing social services, such as medical care.   Its desire is to expand trade ties with the United States, expanding the market for its beef and produce industries, among others.

President Vazquez said the issue was high on the agenda of their talks at his presidential retreat at a national park outside Montevideo.  He told reporters, through an interpreter, that the trade discussions will continue.

"We have created a pace, starting with this meeting, where our experts, our ministers are going to discuss and make progress on issues of bilateral⁶ relationships," he said.

Speaking in the country where the first round of global trade talks was launched, the so-called Uruguay Round, President Bush said he remains⁷ optimistic that a global trade deal can be reached. He repeated his offer to cut US trade subsidies⁸, if other countries do the same.

"The United States is fully⁹ prepared to reduce agricultural subsidies, as I explained to the president," said Mr. Bush.  "We just want to make sure there is market access for our products."

The issue of subsidies has been a major stumbling block in international trade negotiations¹⁰.

Immigration also was raised during his talks in Uruguay.  That issue is expected to dominate talks in the coming days in Guatemala and Mexico.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

4 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

5 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。

6 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。