Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are preparing to meet with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss a U.S. missile-defense plan for Europe. The Americans will meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev during the next two days in an effort to ease tensions.
美国国务卿赖斯和美国国防部长盖茨准备在莫斯科会晤俄罗斯官员，讨论美国的欧洲导弹防御计划。赖斯和盖茨将在今后两天会见俄罗斯领导人普京和新当选的俄罗斯总统梅德韦捷夫，为缓和双方的紧张关系做出努力。
Forty minutes. That is how long President Vladimir Putin kept Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates waiting during their previous visit to Moscow last October. Their agenda then, as now, was a discussion of America's missile-defense system plans. But this time, Rice says that things will be different.
赖斯和盖茨上一次访问莫斯科是在去年十月。当时，俄罗斯总统普京让他们等候了四十分钟。那次和这次一样，赖斯和盖茨的会谈议程是讨论美国的导弹防御系统计划。但是赖斯说，这次的访问将与以往不同。
At a press conference Friday during a Latin American trip, she said the State Department has had good private discussions with the Russians. She added that there is enough interest to head out again and see if progress can be made.
赖斯星期五在访问拉丁美洲的过程中召开的一个新闻发布会上说，美国国务院与俄罗斯方面进行了有益的私下会谈。她还说，目前双方有足够的兴趣再次举行会谈，看看双方是否能够取得一些进展。
The March 17 and 18 meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will address the U.S. plan to build missile-defense facilities in Europe. Plans call for up to 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic.
美国方面将于3月17日和18日与俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫、俄罗斯国防部长谢尔久科夫举行会晤，讨论美国在欧洲建立导弹防御设备的计划。该计划要在波兰建立10个导弹拦截装置，在捷克共和国建立一个雷达系统。
Last month, Mr. Putin said the U.S. plan will eliminate Russia's strategic deterrent, and force a new global arms race between the two nations - one that he says could put a tremendous strain on the country's economy.
普京总统上个月说，美国的导弹防御计划将消除俄罗斯的核威摄，迫使美俄两国开始新一轮的全球军备竞赛。普京说，这会极大地影响俄罗斯的经济发展。
America has responded by saying that the missile-defense system is not intended to defend against a Russian arsenal, but against a potential attack from Iran or a rogue threat.
美国方面对此回应说，美国建立导弹防御系统不是为了防御俄罗斯的军备，而是为了防御来自伊朗或无赖国家的可能袭击。
