2006年VOA标准英语-UN Commander in Haiti Found Dead

By Amelia Shaw
Port-au-Prince
07 January 2006

The Brazilian military commander in charge of U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti was found dead Saturday. The commander's death comes as the troubled country is struggling with political instability and growing violence.

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Urano Bacellar  
  

Brazilian Lieutenant¹ General Urano Bacellar was found dead in his Port-au-Prince hotel room early Saturday. A local journalist who saw the body said the general was sitting in a chair on his terrace in shorts and a t-shirt, with a gunshot wound to the neck.

The death comes at a difficult time for the troubled country. National elections were recently postponed² for the fourth time, leaving Haiti with an uncertain political future. Kidnappings in the capital have skyrocketed, generating millions of dollars in ransom³ money for Port-au-Prince's heavily armed gangs.

On Monday, Haiti's business sector⁴ plans a general strike to protest the rising kidnappings and violence. Business leaders say the strike is intended as a message to the U.N., to do more to provide security in Port-au-Prince.

Since June of 2004, the United Nations has deployed⁵ more than 9,000 peacekeepers to provide security in Haiti. But the U.N. has been increasingly criticized for its perceived failure to provide security for elections.

On Friday, the U.N. Security Council called on Haiti's interim⁶ government to set a new date for elelctions, no later than February 7 amid concern about the spiraling violence.

The U.N. has not released any information concerning the death of General Bacellar. The Brazilian army is calling the incident a "firearm accident." There has been no announcement of his replacement⁷.

Haitian Police Chief Mario Andersol said police have not found evidence to suggest foul⁸ play, but are launching an investigation⁹.

General Bacellar became leader of the U.N. forces in September of 2005. Brazilian Ambassador Paulo Cordeiro said it was devastating¹⁰ to see such a good and honorable general killed in such circumstances.

U.N. troops were sent to Haiti in 2004, following the ouster of then-President Jean Bertrand Aristide after weeks of violent unrest.

1 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

2 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

3 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

7 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

8 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。