U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he hopes to pull more American troops out of Iraq after a brief pause in withdrawals in July or August. Gates made his comments en route to Australia, which he says will continue to play a military role in Iraq even though the new Australian government plans to pull its own combat troops out of the country.

美國國防部長蓋茨表示，他希望在7月和8月短暫的停頓之后從伊拉克撤出更多美軍。蓋茨在前往澳大利亞途中做出上述表示。他說，澳大利亞將繼續在伊拉克發揮軍事作用，盡管澳大利亞新政府計劃從伊拉克撤出澳大利亞的戰斗部隊。

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he wants to continue withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq over the next 10 to 12 months.

美國國防部長蓋茨說，他希望在今后10個月到12個月的期間里繼續從伊拉克撤出美軍。

The current plans call for the Pentagon to withdraw around 20,000 of the more than 155,000 American troops from the country through mid-July. At that point, military commanders are expected to pause while they evaluate the security situation. Gates says he hopes U.S. troop withdrawals will resume after the evaluation.

目前的計劃是美國逐步撤軍，一直撤到今年7月中旬，總共從駐伊拉克15萬5千美軍中撤出大約2萬。然后美軍指揮官將暫停撤軍，評估當地的保安形勢。蓋茨說，他希望在評估之后，美軍將繼續撤出。

The defense secretary's comments came as he and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte were en route to Canberra, where they are due to hold two days of security talks with the new Australian government.

蓋茨在和美國副國務卿內格羅彭特前往澳大利亞之前做出上述表示。他們將在澳大利亞跟澳大利亞政府領導人進行兩天的會談，商討伊拉克的安全形勢。

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised during last year's election campaign to withdraw all of Australia's combat troops from Iraq. Canberra recently confirmed that it will withdraw its 575 combat troops by the middle of this year, around one-third of its total military contingent in and around Iraq.

澳大利亞總理陸克文在去年競選期間對選民許諾，當選之后從伊拉克撤出所有澳大利亞部隊。澳大利亞政府最近證實，將在今年中從伊拉克撤出575名澳大利亞戰斗部隊軍人，占澳大利亞駐伊拉克及周邊地區駐軍的三分之一。

Gates told reporters Friday he is expecting continuity in U.S.-Australian relations despite Mr. Rudd's withdrawal plans. Gates says the Australians are in talks with the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, over their future role in Iraq.

蓋茨星期五對記者說，雖然陸克文總理計劃從伊拉克撤軍，但是他預計美國和澳大利亞的關系會繼續。他說，澳大利亞方面正在就澳大利亞未來在伊拉克的作用問題跟美國駐伊拉克部隊司令彼德雷烏斯進行商談。

"They are still going to have a number of people in Iraq and in terms of the role they might continue to play and the training and other kinds of activities like that," said Gates. "So that's a dialogue right now that is going on between the Australians and General Petraeus."

蓋茨說：“澳大利亞在伊拉克還會有一些人員，以便發揮他們繼續要發揮的作用以及進行訓練等活動。因此，澳大利亞方面正在跟彼德雷烏斯將軍進行商談。”

Australia was a major supporter of the U.S.-led war on terror under former Prime Minister John Howard, whose party was defeated late last year in parliamentary elections.

澳大利亞在前總理霍華德的領導下是美國領導的反恐戰爭的主要支持者。在去年的議會選舉中，霍華德領導的政黨被擊敗。

Mr. Rudd has said that despite policy differences with the Bush Administration, he intends to maintain the traditionally strong U.S.-Australian relationship. Australian officials have said their troop withdrawal from Iraq will be conducted in a manner that will minimize problems for the U.S.-led military coalition there.

陸克文表示，盡管他領導的政府與布什行政當局有政策分歧，但是他愿意維持澳大利亞跟美國傳統的牢固關系。澳大利亞官員表示，澳大利亞部隊從伊拉克撤出會在盡量不給美國領導的多國部隊造成問題的情況下進行。