VOA常速英语:Kerry at NATO Ministerial(翻译)

NATO members must always reaffirm the importance of collective defense and democratic solidarity,said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.Speaking at the recent NATO ministerial meeting,he said, that "peace is best kept through strength and unity, through clarity of purpose and intent,and those qualities remain at the heart of NATO."
北约成员必须一直重申集体防御和民主团结的重要性，美国国务卿约翰·克里说。在最近的北约部长级会议上，他说，“维护和平的最佳方法是通过力量和团结、通过清晰的目的和意图，并且这些品质一直是北约的核心。”

These principles have been at the core of the alliance since its inception.The reason is very simple:The founders of the alliance witnessed the horror that results when instability and political extremism grow unchecked.They knew that hate and territorial ambition and radicalism,when mixed with economic challenges as well as nationalism can often lead to a noxious mix that poisons entire nations, entire continents, and can quickly spread beyond control.
这些原则自北约成立以来就一直是联盟的核心。原因非常简单：联盟的创始人目睹了随着不稳定因素和政治极端主义无节制地发展而引发的恐慌。他们知道仇恨、领土野心和激进主义，当这些因素与经济挑战和民族主义互相渗透时，通常会形成毒害整个国家、整个大洲的有害组合，并且可以快速蔓延到无法控制的地步。

That’s why NATO members recognize it’s not enough to speak about values of tolerance,openness, democracy, rule of law, and good governance, said Secretary Kerry."The members of this alliance bear a huge responsibility to push back against waves of authoritarianism, extreme nationalism,and gross violations of national sovereignty and against threats to security and fundamental human rights.”
这就是为什么北约成员认识到探讨容忍、开放、民主、法治和有效治理的价值已经不足够，国务卿克里说。“这一联盟的成员国肩负巨大责任去抵制独裁主义、极端民族主义的浪潮，以及严重侵犯国家主权的行为，并且反对侵犯安全和基本人权。”

As for the United States, its commitment to NATO and to article 5, the collective defense clause, transcends politics.This alliance, said Secretary Kerry,has enjoyed political support beyond political parties and beyond one branch of government and across the United States.NATO has delivered an end to the Balkan Wars, delivered solidarity after September 11th,and delivered burden sharing in Afghanistan and against terrorism.
就美国而言，它对北约及第5项条款，即集体防御条款的承诺，超越了政治领域。这一联盟，国务卿克里说，不仅享有政党及一个政府分支机构给予的政治支持，还在整个美国获得政治支持。北约结束了巴尔干战争、在911事件后团结起来，并在阿富汗分担责任并反抗恐怖主义。

“As long as there are grave dangers in the world, NATO is going to serve an indispensable purpose,” said Secretary Kerry."But an even deeper source of NATO’s strength is its commitment to freedom, to human rights, to rule of law, to a structure. . .This is a defensive alliance, and it is here to defend the order of freedom and the order of liberty and the rule of law.”
“只要世界上存在重大危险，北约就继续发挥其不可或缺的作用，”国务卿克里说。“但北约力量的一个更深层的来源是它对自由、人权、法治和一种体系的承诺. . .这是一个防御联盟，它在此保卫自由的秩序、自主的秩序和法治。”