2006年VOA标准英语-UN Envoy Assessing Human Rights in Sudan

By Noel King
Khartoum
30 April 2006

A top U.N. envoy¹ is in Sudan to assess the human-rights situation in the embattled nation. United Nations High Commissioner² for Human Rights Louise Arbour is to meet with government officials and human rights groups, and will tour the western Darfur region, meeting with community leaders, and visiting camps for the displaced.

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The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has arrived in Sudan, amid increasing concern over the humanitarian³ situation in Darfur.

 

 
Louise Arbour
(file photo)
  

Louise Arbour is to meet with government officials from both northern Sudan and the autonomous⁴ southern government, before traveling to Darfur to meet with officials and rights groups in the region.

Arbour has previously⁵ criticized the actions of the Sudanese government in Darfur.

U.N. Human Rights Commission spokesman Jose Diaz says the visit is intended, in part, to confront the government of Sudan on what it has done to improve the situation in Darfur.

"The high commissioner was in Darfur a year-and-a-half ago. And, this time, she is coming to see the situation now, and to see how it has evolved since then," he said. "What she saw at that time was extremely alarming. What we have seen since then, at least the reports we are getting from our human rights monitors, is that the situation has, in some cases, stagnated⁶ or worsened. She is going to speak very plainly and very forcefully about the situation, and try to get from them what they plan to do, and what they have done to address the situation."

Arbour's visit follows an attempted visit by Jan Egeland, U.N. under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, earlier this month. Egeland was denied entry into the country, even though he had a valid⁷ visa.

Egeland later suggested he was being blocked from Sudan, in order to prevent him from seeing how badly the situation in Darfur had deteriorated⁸.

Human rights commission spokesman Diaz says Arbour has not faced any restrictions⁹.

The crisis in Darfur spiraled further out of control this month, after rebels swept through Chad and launched an attack on the Chadian capital of Ndjamena, in an attempt to unseat President Idris Deby.

Mr. Deby lashed¹⁰ out at Sudan, cutting diplomatic ties, and charging that the rebels had received support from Khartoum.

The Darfur conflict began when rebels rose against the Khartoum government, complaining of economic and political marginalization. The government armed militias¹¹ now known as Janjaweed to crush the rebellion.

Tens of thousands have died, and about two million more have been displaced as a result of the fighting.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 stagnated   

v.停滞，不流动，不发展( stagnate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• 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
• His mind has stagnated since his retirement. 他退休后头脑迟钝了。 来自辞典例句

7 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

8 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网