VOA标准英语2009年-Sarkozy: France to Return to NATO Military Comm

French President Nicolas Sarkozy officially announced Wednesday that France would rejoin NATO's military command more than four decades after leaving it.
　
French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech during conference at Paris Military School, 11 Mar¹ 2009

President Sarkozy's announcement was widely expected this week, after the French leader broadly hinted for months that Paris would be fully² rejoining the NATO command. Former French leader, General Charles de Gaulle, had withdrawn³ from the military command in the 1960s, concerned that France would lose its military independence to rising superpower, the United States.

But in remarks at a defence seminar in Paris, Mr. Sarkozy stressed France had nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by rejoining the military command.

The French President said a rapprochement with NATO will increase France's national independence. Not fully being part of the Atlantic alliance, he said, only serves to increase its dependence⁴ and limit its margin⁵ of maneuver⁶. He said France will be stronger and more influential⁷.

Mr. Sarkozy said France's nuclear arsenal⁸ would remain outside of NATO's control -- as is the case with the United States and Britain.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop⁹ Scheffer praised France's move, saying its full participation¹⁰ only strengthened the alliance.

But rejoining has proved controversial in France with the opposition¹¹ Socialist¹² party, and even members of Mr. Sarkozy's center right Union for a Popular Majority party, opposing the move, fearing France's independence will erode¹³. Still a recent survey found the majority of France backed it.

The French parliament is expected to debate the decision next week, but is expected to ultimately support it, ahead of a NATO summit marking the alliance's 60th anniversary next month.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 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。

3 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

4 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

5 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

6 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

7 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

8 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

9 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

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 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

13 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。