2006年VOA标准英语-South Korean Seen as Shoo-In for UN Top Job

By Peter Heinlein
New York
02 October 2006

South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon has won an informal U.N. Security Council poll, virtually ensuring that he will be the world body's next secretary-general.

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Ban Ki-Moon

South Korean foreign minister Ban emerged Monday as the almost certain choice to become the eighth U.N. Secretary-General.

In an informal straw poll of the Security Council, Ban was the only one of six candidates who did not receive a disqualifying vote from one of the five permanent veto-wielding members.

As he emerged from the secret balloting¹ session, America's U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States was pleased with the choice.

"To the United Sates government he's well-known, highly-respected; I know him personally, I have since he served in the South Korean mission, in the embassy in Washington in the early 1990s when we collaborated² on the successful motion to have both North and South Korea to join the United Nations," he said. "He's had extensive experience in bilateral³ and multilateral diplomacy⁴, he's a foreign minister of a treaty ally of the United States, so we know him and respect him."

The 62-year old South Korean foreign minister is known as a low-key but effective diplomat⁵. China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said Ban was the most qualified⁶ of the candidates available.

"He's experienced. He's low-key but very firm and he's decisive, but sometimes Asians show that quality in a different way," commented Wang. "So I do hope he will be a good candidate for secretary-general."

Indian author and U.N. Undersecretary-General for Public Information Shashi Tharoor finished second in all four informal straw polls. After the results became public, he conceded defeat.

"I've just written to Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon to express my warmest congratulations on the outcome of today's poll in the Security Council," he said. "It is clear that he will be our next secretary-general. It is a great honor and a great responsibility to be secretary-general, and I wish Mr. Ban every success in that task."

A formal vote of the Council will be held October 9. The nomination⁷ must then be approved by the 192-member General Assembly.

The new secretary-general will take office January 1, when Kofi Annan steps down after 10 years in the U.N.'s top job.

1 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

2 collaborated   

合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• We have collaborated on many projects over the years. 这些年来我们合作搞了许多项目。
• We have collaborated closely with the university on this project. 我们与大学在这个专案上紧密合作。

3 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

6 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

7 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。