考研英语#2016考研究生英语经济学人热点#沙特跟老美 别扭扭

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Saudi Arabia and the United States
沙特跟老美
Awkward relations
别扭扭
The American president and the Saudi king will havean unusually edgy meeting
美国总统与沙特国王将展开一次绝无仅有的紧张会谈
BARACK OBAMA may recall a tricky moment when hefirst met King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia five years ago. Bending to shake hands with theoctogenarian monarch, the taller American appeared to bow deeply. Republican snipers inAmerica gleefully blasted the president for “kowtowing” to rich Arabs. Such protocols should runmore smoothly when Mr Obama heads to Saudi Arabia on March 28th for his second time inoffice. Unfortunately, however, relations between the two countries have seldom been moreawkward.
巴拉克·奥巴马可能会想起5年前一个颇为微妙的一幕，时值他与沙特国王阿卜杜拉首次会晤。尽管比阿卜杜拉高，奥巴马还是深深地弯腰与这位年过八旬的君主握手。国内眼尖的共和党人很愉悦的指责奥巴马向阿拉伯富豪“磕头”。二次执政，奥巴马会把这样的外交礼仪在28日会见沙特国王时做的更自然，但不幸的是，两国关系几乎没有像现在这般别扭过。
Their close alliance dates to the end of the second world war, when an ailing Franklin Rooseveltmet Saudi Arabia's founding king, Abdul Aziz, aboard the cruiser Quincy in the Suez Canal.Then, and for decades after, the equation was simple: America would provide security, theSaudis oil. Those shared interests, cemented by a mutual loathing of communism (and a morerecently shared hatred of Iran's Shia theocracy and of al-Qaeda terrorists), papered overinevitable differences between a hermetic autocracy, backed by fearsomely puritanicalWahhabist clerics, and an ebullient, proselytising democracy.
亲密的美沙联盟关系还得追溯到二战结束，罗斯福带病与现代沙特的建国者阿齐兹在苏伊士运河的巡航舰Quincy号上会见。自那之后的几十年，等价交换显而易见咨询QQ、微信：2544906让约旦，巴基斯坦以及巴林岛等国平息下来，既然埃及已经成为这类援助的首要接受者，沙特将投入更多。
Much of this aid does not necessarily flout America's wishes but, even where interestscoincide, friction can arise. Such as in Syria, where joint Saudi-CIA plans to supply anti-government rebels have consistently stumbled against what Saudi operatives view as quibblingAmerican qualms. The halting nature of such supplies, the Saudis complain, has emboldenedIslamist extremists who have more regular sources of funding and weapons and weakened theAmerican-backed political opposition. Last August, when Syria's president, Bashar Assad, wascaught red-handed gassing his own people in their hundreds, the Saudis saw a goldenopportunity to strike hard. Mr Obama instead shrank back, apparently satisfied with thenarrower aim of eliminating Mr Assad's chemical weapons.
这类帮助并不特意藐视美国的期望，但只要沙特与别国利益一致，与美的摩擦就会产生。例如在叙利亚，沙特与中情局联盟给反政方提供援助这一计划就一致给沙特佣兵眼中的美国刺儿刺儿的不安再添堵。沙方抱怨这样犹豫不决的援助助长了拥有更常规资金和武器资源的伊斯兰极端分子的勇气，也削弱了美方支持的政治反对派。去年8月，叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德被发现手染鲜血以毒气处理数以百计的国人，沙特看到了一个绝妙的机会来进行更有力的打击。而相比之下，奥巴马退缩了，明显满意于消除阿萨德化武的小小目标。
Despite this growing list of grievances on both sides, the two countries need each other.America retains a strong military presence in the Gulf, and cannot be replaced as the ultimateguarantor of Saudi security in the foreseeable future. In the midst of turmoil across theregion, and with the threat of jihadist terrorism ever-present, America still relies heavily on theSaudis as the leading local policeman.
尽管美沙双方的怨气都不断增加，但还是需要对方。美国在海湾驻留一支强大的军队，在可预见的一段时间里也不可能变为沙特安全最终的保障者。在暴乱在中东地区蔓延过程中，面对长期的圣战恐怖主义，美国还是很依赖沙特作为当地主要的警察。
And the countries have other things in common, not all of them helpful. Decision-making inboth Riyadh and Washington has grown increasingly erratic, even dysfunctional, albeit fordifferent reasons. Saudi Arabia's senior rulers are old and weary, and prone to factionalrivalry as younger princes jostle for power in the inevitable succession to the king, who isthought to be at least 89. Mr Obama's administration, meanwhile, has been shackled by anunusually obstreperous legislature. He will not even be greeted in Riyadh by an Americanambassador. He nominated one in November, but Congress has refused so far to confirm hisappointment.
此外，这两个国家还有其他的共同点，尽管不全都有用。在利雅得和华盛顿，做出的决议越来越无常，甚至有点决策机能失常，虽然造成这一现象的原因有很多。沙特的高层管理者年事已高，显得有些疲惫，也很容易发生派系斗争因为年轻的王子们在不可避免的进行王位争夺，据说国王至少89岁了。同时，奥巴马也被异常失控的立法机关束缚住。他在利雅得甚至不会受到美国大使的接待。奥巴马在去年11月任命了一位大使，但遭到国会拒绝，如今都没能上任。
【重点解析】
1.appear to 似乎;好像
例句:By all accounts, Rodger would appear to be afine fellow.
据说，罗杰是个好小伙。
2.head to 引至，通到
例句:I let the horse drop his head to crop the springgrass.
我让马低下头啃吃春天的青草。
3.depend on 依赖;依靠
例句:They depend on the goodwill of visitors to pick up rubbish.
他们相信游客会自觉捡起垃圾。
4.such as 例如;譬如
例句:Issues such as these were not really his concern.
他其实并不关心诸如此类的问题。