VOA标准英语2013--共同威胁将维系美国与埃及的关系

 

Common Threats Keep Egypt, US Relations Going 共同威胁将维系美国与埃及的关系

CAIRO — Relations between Egypt and the United States have hit a new low after Washington announced a cut in military aid to its once key Arab ally.  But, common threats may keep the alliance on track.

开罗--华盛顿宣布削减军事援助后,埃及和美国之间的关系已经创下了新低。但是,共同的威胁可能保持联盟正轨。

Egyptian officials have criticized the suspension of some U.S. military aid as the military-led government cracks down on its opponents.  But others see Washington's decision as one that only strengthens a resurgent neo-nationalism.

"Many Egyptians are welcoming the cutting of aid because they felt that it was not significant enough to make Egypt a dependent country and a follower¹ of the U.S.," said political analyst² Saad Eddin Ibrahim. 

But there are repercussions³ and they come at a critical time.

The Egyptian military is trying to flex⁴ its muscles after the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, waging what it calls a war on terror. Veteran diplomat⁵ Abudllah al Ashaal says that, for the military, it's a broad concept.

"We are keen not to be necessarily aligned⁶ with the United States but to see or pursue our national interests. What is our national interest?  To fight terrorism everywhere.  What is terrorism? Terrorism means anyone who is against them,” said professor and veteran diplomat Abdullah al-Ashaal. 

While al-Ashaal said the military's major focus was the political force of the Muslim Brotherhood⁷, jihadism was a growing threat, moving from the Sinai peninsula into Egypt's heartland.

And for that it relies on the U.S. weapons systems it has been using for decades. 

"When there's a change in the arms supplier it usually takes from three to four years to train the military on the new weapons systems,” said political analyst Saad Eddin Ibrahim of IBN Khaldun Center.

And for all the concern about political developments in Egypt, the U.S. has strategic interests at stake; Washington said it would keep helping⁸ Egypt in key counter-terrorism efforts.

Sinai not only is attracting more militants⁹, it borders Israel and was a cornerstone of the aid deal with Egypt to make peace with U.S. ally Israel in 1979.

"The more the army is involved in Sinai, the more the army is also involved in its relations with Israel and at the same time, I expect that after [Syrian peace talks at] Geneva Two, all the terrorists in the world are coming to Sinai,” said former ambassador al-Ashaal.

That common military challenge, Ashaal believed, would likely be enough to hold the key players - Egypt, the U.S. and Israel - together. 

As for the political fallout?  There is little worry of escalating¹⁰ anti-Americanism, Ashall said, as people were already “anti-American to the teeth.” 

1 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

2 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。

3 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 flex   

n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展

参考例句：

• We wound off a couple of yards of wire for a new lamp flex.我们解开几码电线作为新的电灯花线。
• He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.他收缩他的肱二头肌以吸引那些女士们的目光。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

6 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

7 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

10 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句