VOA常速英语2019--《日内瓦公约》70周年纪念（在线收听）

And events marking the 70th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions are underway, the International Committee of the Red Cross says these four landmark treaties delineating the law of war are as relevant today as they were when they came into force August 12, 1949. Lisa Schlein reports for VOANEWS, from ICRC headquarters in GENEVA.

纪念1949年《日内瓦公约》70周年纪念的活动正在进行中。国际红十字会（ICRC）表示，这4个里程碑式的协议描绘了战争法。时至今日，《日内瓦公约》跟它1949年8月12日生效时一样具有相关性。下面请听我台记者丽莎从日内瓦国际红十字会发回的VOA报道。

The 1949 Geneva Conventions grew out of the horrors of World War II. It took only four months for the four treaties, which are universally ratified, to come into force. The treaties contain the core elements of the International Humanitarian Law, the law of war, which aims to reduce suffering in armed conflict.

1949年《日内瓦公约》是从二战的恐惧中形成的。只用了4个月时间，这4项如今得到普遍认可的协议就生效了。协议中包含国际人权法这个战争法的核心要素，该法旨在减少战争冲突中的苦难。

The law requires all parties to a conflict to abide by provisions that include a prohibition against torture, appropriate treatment of civilians, caring for the wounded on the battlefield, and the dignified treatment of the remains of the dead.

该法要求冲突各方遵守其中条款的规定，包括禁止虐待、合理对待平民、照顾因战受伤的士兵、以让人有尊严的方式对待他人的遗骨。

ICRC Director of International Law and Policy, Helen Durham, recognizes the law of war is not always followed, but she notes when they work, they have an impact. She said ICRC delegates in the field see these laws in action every day.

ICRC国际法律与政策负责人海伦表示，该战争法会有人违背，但她表示，该法生效的时候，是有影响力的。她表示，ICRC在该领域的代表看到每天该法都在发挥作用。

We see, for example, the capacity for us to get fresh water to six million Syrian. This is the law of war in action. We see every time a wounded combatant passes a checkpoint to get access to medical assistance, it is the laws or war in action, she said.

比如，我们看到我们有能力获取新鲜水源并提供给600万叙利亚民众。这是发挥了作用的战争法。我们看到，每次有伤员经过关卡的时候，都能得到医疗援助，这说明该战争法发挥了作用，她补充说道。

At the same time, Durham acknowledges the many challenges to the Conventions posed by new technologies. She said issues such as cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons and the changing nature of conflict present new threats.

与此同时，海伦承认，新技术给《日内瓦公约》造成了很多挑战。他表示，这种挑战包括但不限于网络战、人工智能、自动化武器以及冲突不断改变的本质，它们都会造成新威胁。

When the Conventions were crafted 70 years ago, she says international wars among belligerent states dominated. Now, most wars are internal, civil conflicts. She tells VOA as far back as the 1970s, a survey found a dramatic increase in civilian casualties as a consequence of this change.

海伦表示，70年前，《日内瓦公约》起草的时候，好战国之间发生的国际战争占主导地位。而现在，大多数战争都是内战、内部冲突。她在接受我台采访时表示，早在上世纪70年代的时候，一项调查发现，平民死伤数量急剧上升，这都是这种改变的后果。

In World War I, I think the statistics are one out of nine people killed was a civilian. In World War II, it was around 50-50. And, then when you looked at the Vietnam and other wars of decolonization, the statistics inversed where up to 90 percent of casualties during conflict were civilians… To date, that continues. So, civilians are very often the major casualties, she said.

我认为一战的数据是每9个死亡的人中有1人是平民。在二战中，这个比例是五五开。当我们审视越南等殖民地自治化的战争时，数据是完全颠倒过来的——有9成冲突中的死伤者是平民……目前为止，这一数字还在增加。因此，平民是死伤人数最多的，她如是说道。

Durham said an area of major concern for the ICRC is the treatment of detainees. She said clear rules governing the care of prisoners of war are laid out in the Conventions. However, these frequently are not enforced in the context of civil wars where non-state actors are involved.

海伦表示，ICRC特别担心的一个领域是被扣押者受到怎样对待的问题。她表示，《日内瓦公约》中明确列出了照顾战犯的规定。不过，这样的规定在内战中经常不会得到遵守，因为涉及到了非国家的参与方。

She said this is one area where international law must evolve to make the laws of war more relevant to present day existing reality.

海伦说，这个领域是国际法必须演进的领域，要让战争法与当前存在的现实相关联。