VOA常速英语2008年-Rice, Polish Counterpart, Report Progress on Mi

By David Gollust
State Department
01 February 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski Friday reported progress in talks on Poland's role in a U.S. missile-defense¹ system aimed at a potential Iranian threat. The plan, which would also involve the Czech Republic, has drawn² the ire of Moscow. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

No final accord was announced here. But the Polish Foreign Minister said the sides have an agreement in principle that would clear the way for Poland to take part, and that a deal could be finalized³ during a Washington visit by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk⁴ in early March.

Under the envisaged⁵ system, the United States would base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and put a related advanced radar⁶ installation in the Czech Republic.

The United States insists that the system is intended to counter only a limited missile threat from Iran or some other rogue⁷ state. But Russia contends it would undermine its strategic deterrence⁸ and has threatened unspecified retaliation⁹ if it goes forward.

As conditions for its participation¹⁰, Poland has sought U.S. help to upgrade its air defenses and also greater security assurances from Washington in the face of Russian anger.

At a joint¹¹ press appearance with Sikorski, Secretary Rice made clear the Bush administration does support an air defense upgrade for Poland to make it a more capable NATO ally. And she said the American military commitment to Poland, as stated in the NATO mutual¹² defense treaty, is "unassailable:"

"It should be fully¹³ understood that the United States takes its obligation to Poland exactly as it's stated in Article Five [of the NATO Treaty], that an attack upon one is an attack upon all," she said.  "There is no more solemn obligation.  And I just want to say, you know, when Poland joined the alliance, the alliance and the United States knew that we were, in fact, taking on an Article Five commitment. And so this is not an empty commitment, this is a real commitment."

Rice said that while the United States sought during the 1980's to build a defense system that could counter Moscow's strategic missile forces, the current plan is neither the son, nor the grandson of the so-called "Star Wars" project of the Reagan administration.

She said it is a very different program meant to deal with limited threats, and that there is "no way" that a few interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic can degrade the thousands of nuclear warheads fielded by Moscow.

Sikorski, for his part, also rejected any hostile intent toward Russia:

"The proposed anti-missile base in Poland is not directed against Russia," he noted¹⁴.  "It's only directed against those who choose to be our enemies. And just as much, the reinforced polish air defenses are not directed against anybody. They are to enable Poland to be a stronger NATO ally with the United States. They are to enable Poland to take part in operations, in out-of-area operations, in joint operations. The idea is that America and Poland, thanks to what we are discussing today, can do more together in the future."

Sikorski said the sides would now intensify¹⁵ their dialogue on both the missile defense plan and Polish air defenses with the aim of reaching a "final and positive decision" during the Polish Prime Minister's March meeting with President Bush.

Negotiators from the United States and the Czech Republic completed a round of talks on that country's role in the missile defense plan earlier this week in Prague. Czech government officials have said an agreement could be completed during the first half of this year.

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 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 tusk   

n.獠牙，长牙，象牙

参考例句：

• The wild boar had its tusk sunk deeply into a tree and howled desperately.野猪的獠牙陷在了树里，绝望地嗥叫着。
• A huge tusk decorated the wall of his study.他书房的墙上装饰着一支巨大的象牙。

5 envisaged   

想像，设想( envisage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He envisaged an old age of loneliness and poverty. 他面对着一个孤独而贫困的晚年。
• Henry Ford envisaged an important future for the motor car. 亨利·福特为汽车设想了一个远大前程。

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 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。

8 deterrence   

威慑，制止； 制止物，制止因素； 挽留的事物； 核威慑

参考例句：

• An extreme school of "disarmers" pronounced stable deterrence was a dangerous deception. “裁军论者”中的极端派声称，稳定的威摄是一种危险的骗局。
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。

9 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》

10 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

11 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

12 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

13 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。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。