voa标准英语2008-Resurgent Russia Poses Challenge for Obama Admin

One of the key foreign policy questions facing the incoming Obama administration is how to deal with a resurgent Russia?

Most analysts¹ agree that after Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on January 20, his administration's main challenge will be how to deal with the global financial and economic crisis. But many experts also say Mr. Obama will have to focus his attention on rebuilding relations between Washington and Moscow, relations that most analysts describe as poor.
　

Russian soldiers on top of an armed personnel carrier near Khurvaleti, 60 km northwest of Tbilisi, 22 Aug. 2008

The relationship between the United States and Russia reached a low point this year, following the August five-day war between Georgia and Russia. Washington strongly criticized Moscow's massive military invasion of Georgia in response to Tbilisi's abortive² attempt to take over the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Many experts, including Stephen Jones from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, say based on Mr. Obama's statements on the Russia-Georgian war, his policy toward Moscow is unclear.

"His first statement when he was on holiday in Hawaii was a rather moderate one, calling on both sides to come together and negotiate out of this. But his subsequent statements were more militant³ and condemned⁴ primarily Russia. I think this might in part have been the influence of Vice-President [-elect] Joe Biden who had made a visit to Georgia before the invasion in August and is close to [Georgian] President Misha Saakashvili," said Jones.

While the recent Russia-Georgia war cast a shadow on U.S.-Russian relations, experts say there are other major disagreements between Washington and Moscow. One of those is the Bush administration's backing of Georgia and Ukraine to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Moscow is against that. Mr. Obama has indicated he favors NATO membership, but only when those two countries are ready.

Another point of disagreement is the U.S. plan - also strongly opposed by Moscow - to put an anti-missile defense⁵ shield in Eastern Europe - 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar⁶ station in the Czech Republic.
　

President-elect Barack Obama listens to a reporter's question during a news conference in Chicago, 26 Nov. 2008

Mr. Obama's advisers⁷ say he supports the missile-defense system, but only when the technology is proven to be workable.

Experts say despite differences on major issues, there are areas where Moscow and the new Obama administration could cooperate, especially in the economic arena⁸.

"The United States could offer economic guidance to the Russians who are now having a recession or are on the verge⁹ of a depression," said Marshall Goldman of Harvard University. "Their stock market actually has fallen by a larger percentage than that in the United States. We have had more experience - our economic people have had more experience with recessions and depressions. And it might be worthwhile to convene¹⁰ a meeting of the heads of the president's Council of Economic Advisers in the United States and the economic advisers in the Kremlin to talk about common ways we could work with each other to prevent a deterioration¹¹ in the world economy and to see if there are other ways we could help each other go through this very trying time."

Analysts say other areas where cooperation could be stepped up are fighting terrorism, energy security, and nuclear arms control and nonproliferation.

Robert Legvold from Columbia University says that shortly after his inauguration¹², President Obama should deliver a major speech.

"A presidential address or a major part of a presidential foreign policy address that lays out what the administration would like to accomplish in constructive¹³ terms with the Russians and where Russia fits into U.S. foreign policy," said Legvold. "We have not had a presidential address of that kind in 15 years. Not since 1993 at Annapolis [at the U.S. Naval¹⁴ Academy], before President Bill Clinton was to meet Boris Yeltsin for the first time, has an American leader spelled out U.S. policy toward Russia. It is time that a new American president do that again."

Other experts are also calling for a meeting between President Obama and Russian leader Dmitri Medvedev in the first few months of the new U.S. administration. They say such a meeting would inject new life in a relationship that needs to be given a positive jolt¹⁵.

1 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。

2 abortive   

adj.不成功的，发育不全的

参考例句：

• We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功，不得不放弃。
• Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 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。

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 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。

7 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

8 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

9 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

10 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

11 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

12 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

13 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。

14 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

15 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。