2007年VOA标准英语-Putin Offers to Join US Missile Defense Plan

By Scott Stearns
Rostock, Germany
07 June 2007
 

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to use a Soviet-built radar¹ base in Azerbaijan as part of a U.S. plan for a missile defense² system in Europe. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the Russian leader had previously³ characterized the U.S. plan as the start of a new arms race.

President Bush, (l), shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany, 07 Jun 2007

 

 

After weeks of increasingly harsh rhetoric⁴ from the Russian leader, President Putin made a surprise proposal to join the missile defense plan, offering a Soviet-built radar station in Azerbaijan to help protect against rogue⁵ missiles.

President Putin said he discussed the idea with the president of Azerbaijan Wednesday before making the offer to President Bush.

"The existing agreement with Azerbaijan makes it possible for us to do this. And the president of Azerbaijan stressed that he will be only too glad to contribute to the cause of global security and stability," Putin said.

President Putin spoke⁶ following talks with U.S. President George Bush on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Germany.

President Bush said using the Soviet-era base is an interesting idea, and both men committed to having their respective secretaries of state and defense meet to discuss the details.

The U.S. plan calls for building a radar base in the Czech Republic and installing interceptor missiles in Poland to guard against attacks from missiles from Iran.

U.S. National Security Adviser⁷ Steve Hadley says President Putin offered the Azerbaijani radar as part of the plan that would feed data in real-time to the United States and European allies.

President Putin said if that proposal is accepted, he will not follow through on threats to retarget Russian missiles against European sites in retaliation⁸ for the U.S. missile plan.

The Russian leader says he and the American president have an understanding about common threats but differ about how to best overcome them.

"I think that if we work together to overcome the threats we are discussing today, and if we take into account the concerns of each other, if we make this work transparent⁹ and if we provide for an equal access to the management of this system, then we will have no problems," he said.

It was an unexpected outcome to a highly anticipated meeting between the men as the Russian leader had grown increasingly adamant¹⁰ about opposing a plan that he said was upsetting the global balance of power.

President Bush says President Putin made clear his concerns about missile defense.

"As a result of these conversations, I expect there to be better understanding of the technologies involved and the opportunities to work together," he said.

President Bush said he looks forward to continuing those talks with President Putin at the Bush family compound in Maine early next month.

The G8 members are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. Leaders from China, India, Brazil, Mexico and a number of African countries also are attending the summit.

1 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

2 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。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 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。

5 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

6 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。

7 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

10 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。