VOA标准英语2008年-Bush Heads To Asia For Weeklong Trip

U.S. President George Bush is on his way to Asia for talks with leaders in South Korea, Thailand, and China - where he will attend the opening of the Olympic Games. VOA White House correspondent Paula Wolfson reports from Seoul - the first stop on his weeklong trip.
　

President George Bush and his wife Laura departing for Asia from Andrews Air Force Base, 04 Aug 2008

White House officials say the president's talks in Seoul will deal with trade and military matters.

But hanging over all the discussions here will be North Korea and efforts to deal with Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Since Mr. Bush last met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in April, North Korea has submitted a long-awaited declaration of its plutonium-related activities. It has also destroyed the cooling tower at its reactor¹ at Yongbyon. But President Bush has made clear those steps are only the beginning.

"We are concerned about enriched uranium and proliferation, and human rights abuses, ballistic missile programs," said President Bush. "I view this process as a multi-step process where there will be action for action."

From Seoul, Mr. Bush travels to Thailand where he will highlight conditions in another trouble spot - neighboring Burma.

While the official stated reason for his visit is to celebrate the 175th anniversary of U.S.-Thai relations, the president will also be meeting with Burmese dissidents and will get a briefing on relief efforts following Cyclone² Nargis.

But most media attention is likely to be focused on First Lady Laura Bush. She will travel to the Thai-Burmese border to visit a refugee center, and a clinic.

They will arrive together in Bejing on the eve of the Olympic opening ceremonies. When Mr. Bush walks into the main stadium Friday evening, local time, he will become the first U.S president in history to attend an Olympic games outside the United States.

"I view the Olympics as an opportunity for me to cheer on our athletes," said Mr. Bush. "It's an athletic³ event."

But experts in Asian affairs say if the president thinks he can go the Beijing Olympics as just another sports fan, he is very mistaken.

Derek Mitchell is an analyst⁴ with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington - a private group that conducts research on foreign policy matters.

"It is going to be difficult for him in public," said Derek Mitchell. "But he enjoys sports. And I think he really wanted to go because of the sports. But whether he gets embarrassed while there - it is not going to be just an issue of an individual, it is going to be an issue of the United States prestige."

The president has said he will bring up issues such as human rights in China just not at the Olympics. He met with a group of Chinese democracy advocates at the White House last week, and he plans on attending church while in Beijing to reinforce calls for greater religious freedom.

1 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

2 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。