2006年VOA标准英语-Australia Sends More Troops to Troubled So

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
19 April 2006

Residents watch the smoke rise in Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital, Wednesday, April 19, 2006 after a night of rioting in the aftermath of the election of Snyder Rini as prime minister in April 5 parliamentary elections  
  
Australia is sending reinforcements to the troubled Solomon Islands as violent disturbances¹ continue following the appointment of a new prime minister. Seventeen Australian peacekeepers were injured in the lawlessness and looting that has left parts of the capital Honiara in ruins. Canberra organized a multi-national force that went into the Solomon Islands in July 2003 after years of ethnic² fighting.

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More than 170 Australian soldiers and police officers are being sent to quell³ the disturbances in Honiara. This rapid reaction force is expected to touch down in the capital of the Solomon Islands late Wednesday.

They will find a city scarred by mob violence. As many as one thousand people rampaged through the streets, targeting shops in the Chinatown district.

Police were pelted⁴ with stones and several peacekeepers from Australia and New Zealand were injured in the riots. Many of their vehicles were also torched.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard believes the spark for the unrest was the appointment of Snyder Rini as the Solomon Islands' prime minister.

"The situation is still quite unsettled," he said. "It does appear to be a reaction to the election outcome. Australia has made a very strong, long-term commitment to the future of the Solomon Islands."

On Tuesday, Mr. Rini was chosen to head a new government after national elections earlier this month. His opponents have accused him of corruption⁵ and of being under the control of ethnic Chinese businessmen who hold much of the wealth in the Solomon Islands.

Mr. Rini denies the allegations. He was trapped inside the parliament building for most of Tuesday as the violence continued outside.

The lawlessness in Honiara has taken the authorities by surprise. The security situation across the archipelago had improved since Australia led an international rescue mission to the country almost three years ago.

Its involvement ended an ethnic conflict over land rights and jobs between warring factions⁶ from two of the main provinces. Australia was worried that lawless Pacific island states in its backyard could become havens⁷ for terrorists, drug dealers⁸ and international criminal gangs.

The foreign forces, however, have been unable to soothe⁹ the political tensions that have for many years divided this troubled South Pacific nation of a half-a-million people.

1 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

2 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。

3 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

4 pelted   

（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮

参考例句：

• The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
• The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

7 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

8 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

9 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。