VOA常速英语2008年-Rice to Visit Brazil, Chile to Boost Strategic

By Meredith Buel
State Departmnet
12 March 2008

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is traveling to Brazil and Chile this week to highlight the United States' strong relationship with two strategic countries in Latin America.  Rice is expected to focus on growing economic ties with both countries, regional security and proliferation issues.  VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details in this report from the State Department.

Secretary Rice will visit Brasilia where she will meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

On the agenda is cooperation between the two countries on issues, such as trade, finance, regional security, nonproliferation and arms control.

Rice is expected to try to advance cooperation on biofuels in an effort to boost an agreement signed last year to promote diversifying¹ energy supplies, energy markets and sustainable development.

Brazil has been touting² its agricultural potential and energy experience, especially in ethanol, which Brazil makes from sugar cane³.

Rice is also expected to visit Salvador da Bahia, a city on the northeastern coast of Brazil.

More than 80 percent of the population in the area is of African origin and Rice, who is African American, is expected to discuss what State Department officials say is a joint⁴ effort against racial discrimination.

"Brazil has dealt with issues of minorities and minority rights and you overlay onto that how to deal with racial and ethnic⁵ differences over the years and how to deal with those in the context of a democracy," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.  "Essentially⁶ how does a multi-ethnic democracy work, progress and thrive?  We have had our own struggles in that regard, so there are some common bonds there."

Rice then goes to Chile where she will meet in Santiago with President Michelle Bachelet and Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley. 

There, Rice plans to revive a long-standing, but largely dormant⁷ strategic partnership⁸ between Chile and the U.S. state of California. 

State Department officials say both have complimentary⁹ economies and spokesman Sean McCormack says a centerpiece of the visit is a proposed educational exchange program.

"The secretary is very interested in international educational exchange programs and in the issue of education as an important national security priority.  This particular program really highlights those two aspects of her personal as well as policy interests," he added.

U.S. officials say relations between the U.S. and Chile have never been stronger and the secretary is also expected to discuss issues such as diplomacy¹⁰, security, culture and science.

1 diversifying   

v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的现在分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• Some publishers are now diversifying into software. 有些出版社目前正兼营软件。 来自辞典例句
• Silverlit is diversifying into new markets, such as Russia and Eastern Europe. Silverlit正在使他们的市场变得多样化，开发新的市场如俄罗斯和东欧国家。 来自互联网

2 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

3 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

4 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。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 complimentary   

adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的

参考例句：

• She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
• The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。

10 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。