2006年VOA标准英语-UN Conference Focuses on Bio-terrorism Threat

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
19 November 2006
 
The threat of bio-terrorism will top the agenda of a sixth review conference of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. The two-week conference, which begins Monday in Geneva will review the ban on biological weapons and aim to strengthen the existing treaty. 

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The previous review conference was held in 2001. It collapsed¹ after the United States rejected a draft protocol² aimed at strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention. Washington said the proposed verification measures would interfere³ with legitimate⁴ commercial activity and defense⁵.

Since then, terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 and the war on terrorism was launched.

		Vice6 FM Katsutoshi Kaneda for the BWC seminar in Tokyo (File photo - 14 Feb. 2006)" src="/upimg/allimg/070509/1359000.jpg" width="180" border="0" /> Pakistan's Masood Kahn,  listens to an opening speech delivered by Japanese Senior Vice FM Katsutoshi Kaneda for the BWC seminar in Tokyo (File photo - 14 Feb. 2006)

The President-designate of the Conference, Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan, says many of the divisions of the past have been buried and prospects⁷ for an agreement to strengthen the treaty this time are better.

"The atmosphere in general, I would describe as positive and forward looking. I am therefore going into the conference in a very optimistic frame of mind," he said. "There will certainly be challenges, some hurdles⁸ and glitches⁹. But, I am confident that we will be able to secure an outcome that reduces the risks posed by biological weapons and helps ensure that the great strides being made in biological science and technology are used only for the benefit of people around the world."

Khan says bio-terrorism poses a threat to national and international security because of what he calls the mind-boggling advances that have been made in the life sciences and biotechnology. He says these developments are moving ahead at great speed.

"Unlike nuclear weapons or even chemical weapons, you do not need big laboratories and elaborate command and control systems or huge facilities to produce weapons," he added. "Here in a remote laboratory an experiment which is being done to develop a benign¹⁰ use for biology, that can be turned into a weapon. So, there you have to be very watchful¹¹ and vigilant¹²."

Khan says concerns also are growing about how bio-terrorists could manipulate naturally occurring diseases such as SARS and avian influenza¹³ for their purposes.

1 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 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。

5 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。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

9 glitches   

n.小过失，差错( glitch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Manufacturing glitches have limited the factory's output. 生产中的故障影响了该厂的产量。 来自辞典例句
• Another kind of period variation,\"Glitches,\" are seen in several pulsars. 在几个脉冲星中还看到了周期的另一种变化，即“自转突快”现象。 来自辞典例句

10 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

11 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

12 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

13 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。