VOA慢速英语 2008 0216

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

 
An early celebration in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo
Kosovo is expected to declare its independence from Serbia in the coming days, possibly on Sunday.

Serbia's newly re-elected President Boris Tadic says he will never give up his fight for Kosovo, but will also fight for Serbia to join the European Union.

He said Friday that Serbia would reduce diplomatic relations, but not cut ties, with countries that recognize an independent Kosovo.

 
Hashim Thaci
Kosovo's leader, Hashim Thaci, is calling on displaced Serbs living outside Kosovo to return.

Serbia and its chief ally, Russia, say Kosovo's independence will lead to separatist efforts by other dissatisfied territories across the world.

Serbia has offered self-rule for Kosovo, which it considers an important part of its history and territory. Yet Serbia has not controlled the southern province since nineteen ninety-nine. That was when NATO bombed the former Yugoslavia until Yugoslav military leaders agreed to withdraw troops from Kosovo.

About two million people live there. Ninety percent are ethnic¹ Albanian. The area is currently administered by the United Nations and policed by sixteen thousand NATO-led peacekeepers.

The United States and most European countries support independence. Once Kosovo acts, the European Union plans to take over many of the administrative² duties now held by the United Nations. Serbia and Russia say that plan is illegal.

In March of two thousand four there was violence mainly against ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. That led, almost two years later, to the opening of international negotiations³ on Kosovo. Finally, in December, the United Nations Security Council declared itself in hopeless disagreement.

As Kosovo prepares to become the world's newest country, the six-year-old nation of East Timor struggles with a crisis. Foreign troops are searching for suspected rebels after attacks against its leaders.

 
Jose Ramos-Horta
On Monday, president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta was shot twice and seriously wounded. Gunmen later shot at Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao but he escaped unhurt.

Wanted rebel leader Alfredo Reinado died in a gunfight with guards during the attack at the president's home in Dili, the capital. He escaped from prison after being found guilty of inciting⁴ clashes between government forces and former rebels in two thousand six.

East Timor, or Timor-Leste, is a former province of Indonesia, and one of the world's poorest countries. On Wednesday the government of the young democracy extended a state of emergency for ten days.

Australia has more than one thousand soldiers and police there, including extra forces sent after the shootings. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd briefly⁵ visited Dili Friday. He later visited President Ramos-Horta at a hospital in Darwin, Australia.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake.

 

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

5 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。