U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta assured anxious Asian allies on Sunday that the U.S. will maintain its large military presence in the Pacific as a counterweight to China, despite mounting pressure at home to cut spending.

　　美国国防部长帕内塔(Leon Panetta)周日向不安的亚洲盟友保证，尽管美国国内削减支出的压力不断增大，美国将保持在太平洋的大规模军事部署，作为平衡中国的一支力量。

　　China's military buildup and aggressive posture in the South China Sea has become a growing U.S. concern, officials say.

　　Agence France-Presse/Getty Images周日，在印尼旅游胜地巴厘岛，美国国防部长帕内塔出席东盟国防部长会议时参加新闻发布会。官员们说，中国的军力增强和在南中国海（中国称中国南海）的强硬姿态是个令美国越来越担心的问题。

　　But in his first trip to Asia as Pentagon chief, Mr. Panetta appeared to tone down his rhetoric, praising Beijing's muted response to a recent U.S. arms deal with Taiwan and voicing confidence that a closer bilateral relationship can be forged despite deep mistrust on both sides.

　　但帕内塔在出任美国国防部长后的首次亚洲之行中，看来弱化了自己的措辞，他称赞北京对最近美国对台军售的温和回应，并表示有信心尽管双方存在极深的不信任，中美能够建立更密切的双边关系。

　　Mr. Panetta's promise to “strengthen our presence in this part of the world” was part of what officials described as a 'realignment' of U.S. interests.

　　帕内塔承诺加强在该地区的军事部署，这是官员们所称的美国“调整”利益的举措之一。

　　As American forces withdraw from Iraq this year and Afghanistan by the end of 2014, the U.S. will be able to expand its diplomatic and military influence deeper into Southeast Asia and the Pacific, officials said.

　　官员们说，随着美国今年从伊拉克撤军以及2014年底前从阿富汗撤军，美国将有能力在东南亚和太平洋地区加深外交和军事影响力。

　　The U.S. military is facing at least $450 billion in spending cuts over the next decade.

　　美国军方面临未来10年至少将支出削减4,500亿美元的任务。

　　Mr. Panetta said his goal in visiting Asia was to dispel fears among U.S. allies that defense-spending cuts as part of deficit-reduction efforts will force Washington to curtail its role in the region.

　　帕内塔说，他访问亚洲的目的是为了消除美国盟友的不满，他们认为作为减赤努力的一部分，美国的防务支出削减将迫使华盛顿减少参与该地区的事务。

　　“I know you have probably all been following the budget debate in the United States with keen interest and are questioning whether we will follow through on these commitments. Let me assure you that we will not be reducing our presence in Asia,” Mr. Panetta told defense ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

　　帕内塔在印尼度假胜地巴厘岛对东盟(Asean) 10国国防部长说，我知道大家可能都在密切关注着美国的预算论战，并质疑美国是否会兑现承诺；我向大家保证，我们不会减少在亚洲的军事部署。

　　Mr. Panetta told the ministers that the Pentagon envisages expanding the U.S. military's presence in Southeast Asia and into the Indian Ocean. He said this would include closer cooperation with Australia and the deployment of a littoral combat ship to Singapore.

　　帕内塔对东盟部长们说，美国国防部计划扩大美军在东南亚和印度洋的军事部署。他说，这将包括与澳大利亚更密切的合作以及向新加坡部署一艘近海战舰。

　　Since becoming Pentagon chief in July, Mr. Panetta has yet to meet directly with his Chinese counterparts, but he said Sunday that he felt “pretty confident” that the two “major” Pacific powers -- China and the U.S. -- can build on what until now has been an on-again, off-again military-to-military relationship.

　　自今年7月就任美国国防部长以来，帕内塔尚未与中国国防部官员举行会晤，但他周日说，对于太平洋地区的两个大国中国和美国增强目前为止时断时续的军事关系，他极有信心。

　　Mr. Panetta urged Beijing to be more 'transparent' about the advanced weapons it is developing. China is building stealth-fighter aircraft, but Washington is more concerned about antiship missiles that could threaten the U.S. fleet in the Pacific and beyond.

　　帕内塔敦促北京对正在研制的先进武器更加透明。中国正在研制隐形战机，但华盛顿对可能威胁到美国在太平洋等地舰队的反舰导弹更为关注。

　　He singled out for praise China's reaction to Washington's decision to sell Taiwan military-fighter upgrades rather than new planes. After the announcement, China said relations with the U.S. would suffer. But Mr. Panetta said he knew of no moves by Beijing to curtail relations in response to the sale.

　　他尤其赞扬了中国对华盛顿帮助台湾升级战机而非出售新战机的决定做出的反应。在华盛顿宣布帮助台湾升级战机后，中国说，中美关系可能会受到影响。但帕内塔说，他知道北京并没有因此采取措施减弱双边关系。

　　Mr. Panetta plans trips to Japan and South Korea later this week.

　　帕内塔计划本周晚些时候访问日本和韩国。