Argentina slams Britain's "military threats" over disputed islands

 BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's Foreign Ministry¹ on Sunday condemned² what it called "the military threats of British Prime Minister David Cameron in relation to Great Britain's illegal occupation of the Malvinas Islands for the past 180 years."

The ministry was reacting to statements Cameron made on British TV channel BBC1 on Thursday, in which he said he was willing "to fight" to hold on to the islands just off Argentina's South Atlantic coast, known to the British as the Falklands.

"The aggressiveness of the British prime minister's words affirm Argentina's denouncement at the United Nations regarding the militarization of the South Atlantic and the possible presence of nuclear arms introduced by the colonial power," the ministry said in a statement.

The Argentine government urges the British "not to use the legitimate³ and peaceful claims we make against the usurpation⁴ of part of our territory and against colonialism as an excuse to continue sustaining the weapons industry, instead of alleviating⁵ the severe social crisis affecting Europe," the ministry said.

"People need more work and less war," it added, while reiterating⁶ "Britain's obligation to accept the United Nations resolutions to resolve the Malvinas affair in a peaceful manner."

In that TV interview, Cameron said Britain's "determination (to retain power over the islands) is extremely strong" and stressed Britain has one of the "five largest defense⁷ budgets in the world."

The dispute over the islands led Argentina and Britain to a 74-day war in 1982. Despite its military defeat, Buenos Aires has not given up its claim to the islands.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 usurpation   

n.篡位；霸占

参考例句：

• The struggle during this transitional stage is to oppose Chiang Kai-shek's usurpation of the fruits of victory in the War of Resistance.过渡阶段的斗争，就是反对蒋介石篡夺抗战胜利果实的斗争。
• This is an unjustified usurpation of my authority.你是在非法纂夺我的权力。

5 alleviating   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• If it's alleviating pain,who knows what else it's doing? 如果它减轻了疼痛，天知道还影响什么？
• Measuring poverty is not the same as alleviating it, of course. 当然，衡量贫困和减轻贫困是截然不同的。

6 reiterating   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He keeps reiterating his innocence. 他一再申明他无罪。
• The Chinese government also sent a note to the British government, reiterating its position. 中国政府同时将此立场照会英国政府。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。