VOA慢速英语2015 日本首相开始访问美国
时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:2015年VOA慢速英语(四)月
AS IT IS 2015-04-28 Japanese Prime Minister Begins US Visit 日本首相开始访问美国
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in the United States. He plans to visit four U.S. cities and meet with President Barack Obama at the White House. On Wednesday, he will speak to a joint 1 meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Mr. Abe’s visit comes as the security and economic relationship between the two countries is changing. U.S. and Japanese officials recently amended 2 defense 3 guidelines to give Japan more responsibility for its own defense. This is the first time those rules have been changed since 1997.
Evan Madeiros is Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council. He says the new defense guidelines will expand Japan’s position in the alliance. He says they also will create a way for Japan to provide additional support to the U.S. armed forces.
Kenichiro Sasae is the Japanese ambassador to the United States. He spoke 4 recently at the Centers for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He said the new guidelines will be followed by security legislation. Last year, Mr. Abe and his cabinet changed the official interpretation 5, or understanding, of Japan’s constitution. The Cabinet agreed that Japan can defend itself militarily.
“For Japan, this change in our thinking on collective defense is a sea-change. It is coming after 70 years of trust, and the legislation will establish a framework for Japan to further collaborate 6 with the United States.”
Jeffrey Kingston is a professor of Asian studies at Temple University. He works at the university’s campus in Tokyo. He says the changes in Japan’s security policy are a result of China’s growing military strength.
“Back in 1997, China’s defense budget was $10 billion. Last year, it was $144 billion and there’s been a lot of saber-rattling over disputed territories between the two countries. So, the rising China narrative 7 and concerns about its hegemonic ambitions in Asia are pushing the United States and Japan closer. And Abe is keen to secure a U.S. commitment to back it in the event of some contingency 8 over the disputed islands in the East China Sea.”
Professor Kingston says few Japanese agree with the decision to change Japan’s security policy. He says only 23 percent of the public supports a change, while 68 percent oppose it.
Protests by Korean-Americans are expected during Mr. Abe’s visit to the United States. They are angry that Japanese troops forced Korean women to become sexual slaves during World War II.
Words in This Story
sea change – n. a big and sudden change
framework – n. the basic structure of something
collaborate – v. to work with another person or group in order to achieve or do something
saber-rattling – n. actions and statements that are meant to frighten or threaten an enemy by suggesting the possible use of force
hegemonic – adj. ruling or dominant 9 in a political or social context
keen – adj. feeling a strong and impatient desire to do something
- 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。
- 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。
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
- His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
- Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。
- The work gets done more quickly when we collaborate.我们一旦合作,工作做起来就更快了。
- I would ask you to collaborate with us in this work.我们愿意请你们在这项工作中和我们合作。
- He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
- Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
- We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。
- A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。