William Ide
April 10, 2014
BEIJING — U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's visit to China this week highlighted a rapidly expanding effort between the two nations' militaries to boost ties, despite growing regional disputes. The trip also laid bare some of their sharp differences.
Hagel's first visit to China was not short on friendly exchanges, including a visit to the country's only aircraft carrier and talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But, although the two sides talked cooperation, they also openly disagreed over territorial disputes in the region.
The Pentagon chief bluntly challenged Beijing's decision late last year to declare an air defense zone over disputed islands in the East China Sea also claimed by Japan.
"Every nation has a right to establish an air defense zone, but not a right to do it unilaterally with no collaboration, no consultation. That adds to tensions, misunderstandings, and could eventually add to, and eventually get to dangerous conflict," said Hagel.
Chinese defense minister, General Chang Wanquan, responded in kind, noting territorial issues are a core interest for China.
"On this issue we will make no compromise, no concession, no trading, not even a tiny bit of violation is allowed," said Chang.
At China’s National Defense University, Hagel spoke with officers about the need for transparency as a way to avoid misunderstandings.
Taking questions later, one officer voiced concerns that Washington is taking sides in the region to stir up tensions and block Beijing's military rise.
Washington denies it is trying to contain China. But the Brookings Institution's Jonathan Pollack says the United States has adopted a somewhat harder line in how it addresses these issues in the region.
"You're getting a consistent message from [U.S. officials], on the one hand, an effort to try to define, improve prospects for a meaningful relationship between the armed forces of the two countries’ expanding cooperation in particular areas, but at the same time reinforcing areas where the Chinese say they will not budge, and we reiterate our existing commitments," Pollack said.
Analysts say relations have made significant strides over the past year or so. This is the third time that Hagel and his Chinese counterpart have met since they both took office. The two militaries have held several joint exercises since last year.
Language Notes 
loom large (v phr) (潛在的困難或煩惱) 難以避免、解決
short (a) 缺少；不足的
exchange (n) 交流，意見交換
美國防部長(Secretary of Defense)訪中，在區域爭議不斷的狀況下，凸顯了雙方加速拓展與建立軍事關係 (boost ties
) 的努力。但本次行程也讓兩方的重大歧異更顯而易見 (lay . . . bare)。
美國防部長哈格爾(Hagel)首次的訪中不乏 (not short on . . .) 許多表示友善的交流(friendly exchanges)行程，其中包含看訪中國唯一的航空母艦 (aircraft carrier)、會晤了中國總理習近平。雙方雖大談合作，但對於區域的領土爭議 (territorial disputes)仍公開地表示不同意見 (openly disagree over. . .)。
unilaterally (adv) 單邊地XXXXX*換上字首”bi”，bilaterally 即是指「雙邊地」
add to (v phr) 增加；加劇
美國防部長明確挑戰去年宣布防空識別區的做法，東海爭議島嶼，日本也宣稱擁有其主權。他說：「每個國家都有權建立防空區域，但不能沒有合作，缺乏商議(consultation) 就單方面 (unilaterally)執行。這只會讓區域內的誤會和緊張關係加深 (add to tensions)，最後還可能導致危險衝突 (conflict)。(編按：新聞英語常會使用一些指標性的建築物名稱或首都地名來代表某個國家機構或整體性的國家的立場。本段落中的國防部長一詞，就用了「五角大廈的首領」(the Pantagon chief) 來表示，另外，新聞中也用「華盛頓」(Washington) 指「美國」的立場，「北京」(Beijing) 表示「中國」的立場。
contain (v) 防堵，遏制
adopt(take) a hard line (phr) 採取強硬措施XXXXX*對某事採取強硬措施，常使用介詞 “on”，例：The school takes a very hard line on drugs. 新聞中，後面接的是一個「情形」(how引導的子句)，故使用介詞 ”in”
address (v) 處理、面對問題XXXXX*做此義時，常搭配「爭議、問題」的名詞，如address a problem/ question/ issue
budge (v) 讓步；改變意見
reiterate (v) 重申，重述
美國官方表示其政策並非要防堵(contain)中國勢力，但美一智庫的研究員認為，美國在處理 (address) 區域問題上，採取了較強硬的立場 (adopt a somewhat harder line)。他說：「一方面來說，美國一直傳達出的是有一致性的訊息(a consistent message)，像是希望兩國軍隊(the armed forces)能夠在某些地方上能擴大合作(expanding cooperation)，對兩方建立有意義的關係的展望(prospect)再定義與強化上，但另一方面來說，美國也對中國不願退讓(budge)的一些地方持續加強 (reinforce)，不斷重申(reiterate) 美國既定與承諾的努力方向 (existing commitments)。」
make significant strides (phr) 有重大進步XXXXX*這個片語中的形容詞可以替換成其它表示「巨大」的詞，如make great/major/giant strides；另一個片語含有stride的片語是take something in stride，意思是「勇敢、正面的接受. . .挑戰」
take office (phr) 上任，就職 joint exercise (phr) 聯合演習、操練
military (n) 軍隊
分析師說，在過去的兩年間，雙方的關係已有明顯進步(have made significant strides)，這是自雙方上任以來(take office)的第三次會面了。美中兩國的軍隊人員也在去年數度舉行過聯合軍演(joint exercise)。
Language Tips
“military”一字在本新聞中有形容詞和名詞用法。 “military ties” (軍事關係)是形容詞用法。加上定冠詞 “the” 形成 “the military” (軍隊)就是名詞的用法，其中 “military” 使用單數型，視為一個 「集合名詞」。集合名詞是使用單數型，但在句子裡可當成單數或複數使用，例：After 1985, the military was/were excluded from politics. 本新聞中出現兩次 “the military” 的用法都使用 “military”的複數型，” the two nations' militaries”、 “the two militaries”，這是因為有兩個國家的軍隊、兩個群體的關係。再舉”family”來說，例如My family has/have lived in Taipei for many years. 這是指「我的家庭」，是單一的一群人，但There are countless families living in Taipei. 這裡 ”families” 用複數型是因為有很多、無數的家庭 (很多的群體)。
一個國家的軍隊除了用”the military”這個詞以外，也可以用 “the armed forces”表示，但注意此詞條中的 “forces” 用複數型。
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, select the text below to reveal the hidden answers.
1. He was never tempted to join the military.
2. This show will no doubt add to his growing reputation.
3. She won't budge from her opinions.
4. The government has made great strides in reducing poverty.
5. Fear of failure loomed large in his mind.
6. Pastrana's approval rating has fallen since he took office in 1998.
Source：http://www.voanews.com/content/as-us-china-seek-closer-military-ties-differences-loom-large/1890828.html
編譯：簡嘉呈
館藏介紹
英語宅急便 
