2007年VOA标准英语-Bush and Singapore Leader Discuss Security

By Scott Stearns
White House
04 May 2007

U.S. President George Bush and the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, met at the White House Friday to talk about security in South East Asia and the war in Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

U.S. President Bush (l) shakes with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, 04 May 2007

President Bush says there is no one with a clearer vision of the issues, complications, and opportunities in South East Asia than Prime Minister Lee.

Mr. Bush says the men discussed the stand-off over North Korea's nuclear program and uranium enrichment by Iran as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I thanked the Singaporean government and the people of Singapore for supporting a provincial¹ reconstruction² team in Afghanistan, which will help the people of that young democracy realize a brighter future," he said.

The president accepted the prime minister's invitation to again visit Singapore on his way to a regional economic summit in Australia in September.

Prime Minister Lee spoke³ of the deep friendship between the two nations.

"I thanked the president for the steadfastness⁴ and resolve with which he is tackling the very complicated problems in the Middle East, in Iraq, as well as the Israel/Palestinian issue. It is critical for us in South East Asia that America does that and that the president continues to give strong leadership on that because it affects America's standing⁵ in Asia, and the world," said Lee.

The prime minister went on to say that extremists in South East Asia watch carefully what happens in the Middle East.

He said good relations between the United States and China and Japan are critical to regional leaders because South East Asian countries want to be friends with all three and do not want to have to choose sides.

The prime minister is one of the president's biggest allies in the region and has often advised Mr. Bush about how to improve America's imagine in the Muslim world.

Since a 2004 free trade agreement, trade between the countries has grown to more than $42 billion, making the island city-state America's ninth-largest export market.

1 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

2 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

3 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。

4 steadfastness   

n.坚定，稳当

参考例句：

• But he was attacked with increasing boldness and steadfastness. 但他却受到日益大胆和坚决的攻击。 来自辞典例句
• There was an unceremonious directness, a searching, decided steadfastness in his gaze now. 现在他的凝视中有一种不礼貌的直率，一种锐利、断然的坚定。 来自辞典例句

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。