The United States and Australia have reaffirmed their alliance in the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the installation of the new Kevin Rudd government in December. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met Saturday in Canberra with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.

美國和澳大利亞在兩國高層會議中重申盟國關系，這是陸克文領導的澳大利亞新政府去年12月組閣以來雙方舉行首次高層會議。美國國防部長蓋茨、副國務卿內格羅蓬特星期六在堪培拉同澳大利亞外交部長史密斯和國防部長菲茨吉本舉行會面。

When he was campaigning to take over the Australian government last year, Kevin Rudd made it clear he would modify Australia's relationship with the United States, particularly on the issue of Iraq.

陸克文在去年大選后接管澳大利亞政府時申明，他將修改澳大利亞同美國的關系，特別是在伊拉克問題上。

Now prime minister, Mr. Rudd has confirmed he will pull out more than 500 of the approximately one thousand Australian troops deployed in the Persian Gulf region.

現在，新總理陸克文確認，他將把部署在波斯灣地區的大約1000名澳大利亞軍隊撤回500多人。

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates might have had reason to be upset with the Rudd government. Under the government of former Prime Minister John Howard, Australia was one of Washington's strongest supporters on military matters.

美國國防部長蓋茨對陸克文政府失望可能是有原因的。在前總理霍華德領導下的澳大利亞政府曾經是華盛頓在軍事問題上一個最堅定的支持者。

But Gates told reporters while en route to Australia Friday that he anticipated "continuity" in U.S.-Australian affairs. After meeting with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Saturday, Gates indicated that the relationship is essentially unchanged.

但是，蓋茨在星期五前往澳大利亞的途中告訴記者，他預期在美國和澳大利亞事務上會保持連續性。蓋茨在同澳大利亞外交部長史密斯和國防部長菲茨吉本舉行會面后指出，美國和澳大利亞的關系沒有發生實質性的變化。

"The United States has no better partner and no stronger ally than Australia," he said.

蓋茨說：“對美國來說，沒有比澳大利亞更好的夥伴和更堅定的盟友了�！�

On other matters, Smith says he told the U.S. delegation Australia's growing commercial relationship with China should in no way damage Canberra's ties to Washington. He says he told Gates and Negroponte that the United States should have a constructive dialogue with Beijing, whose military modernization has been a concern to Washington.

在其他的問題上，史密斯說，他告訴美國代表，澳大利亞同中國在商務方面加深聯系不會損害澳大利亞同美國的關系。史密斯說，他告訴蓋茨和內格羅蓬特，美國應該同中國展開建設性對話，中國的軍事現代化讓華盛頓感到擔憂。

Despite Mr. Rudd's planned pull-back in Iraq, military ties between Australia and the U.S. remain strong. Defense Minister Fitzgibbon told reporters Saturday he would like the option of buying America's state-of-the-art F-22 Raptor fighter jet.

盡管陸克文計劃從伊拉克撤軍，澳大利亞和美國的軍事關系仍然非常緊密。澳大利亞國防部長菲茨吉本星期六告訴記者，他希望購買美國先進的F-22猛禽隱形戰斗機能夠成為一個選擇。

Gates said U.S. law currently forbids sale of the Raptor to foreign countries, but he encouraged Australia to lobby the U.S. Congress to amend that law.

蓋茨說，美國法律目前禁止向外國出售猛禽隱形戰斗機，但是他鼓勵澳大利亞游說美國國會修改這項法律。