2006年VOA标准英语-Australian Peacekeepers Patrol Deserted Streets

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Dili
26 May 2006

An Australian soldier takes up a defensive¹ position along Dili's main street Friday May 26, 2006 in Dili, the capital of East Timor  
  
Australian peacekeepers are patrolling the deserted² streets of the East Timor capital, following days of violence between rebel soldiers and the nation's armed forces that have left at least 15 people dead.

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Dili's usually bustling³ streets and markets were nearly empty Friday. Traumatized residents stayed home, venturing out only to glimpse the first security patrols, led by a contingent⁴ of Australian peacekeepers.

The Australians, who began arriving Thursday, hope to have at least 1,300 soldiers on the ground within the next few days. They are due to be joined by troops from New Zealand, Malaysia, and Portugal, the former colonial ruler of this tiny country.

Lieutenant⁵ Colonel Michael Mumford, the commanding officer of three Australian battalions⁶ that arrived Friday morning, says his soldiers will stay here as long as it takes to secure the peace.

"We'll stay here as long as required. So, if that takes weeks, or months, it means nothing to us," he said. "We'll stay here, until peace and stability is brought back to Timor."

An Australian soldier mans a position as Timorese children watch at Dili's airport after arriving Friday, May 26, 2006 in Dili, the capital of East Timor   
  
The deployment⁷ of the peacekeepers followed an urgent appeal by the Timorese government on Wednesday for international help to quell⁸ fighting between government security forces and hundreds of former soldiers.

Violence began a month ago, when almost 600 soldiers who come from the western part of the country were dismissed by the government, after complaining of poor working conditions. They also claimed they were discriminated⁹ against by soldiers from the eastern part of the country, who fought for the nation's independence.

Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta said Friday the Australian troops will take over security, and the Timorese troops will return to their barracks.

On Thursday, nine police were killed, sporadic¹⁰ clashes broke out in the center of the capital, and unemployed¹¹ youths armed with machetes roamed the streets.

But, by Friday, a day after the international peacekeepers began arriving, the city appeared to be settling down.

Gino Favaro, an Australian living in Dili and president of the Tourism Association of East Timor, says the arrival of the peacekeepers has brought a semblance¹² of order back to Dili.

"It's pretty quiet, actually. It's a beautiful day in Dili today. Sunshine, a few clouds up there, and the streets have some traffic… where yesterday they had no traffic," said Favaro. "So it's much better."

Australia led an international peacekeeping force to East Timor in 1999, when the East Timorese voted in a United Nations-sponsored referendum for independence from Indonesia.

Indonesia had annexed¹³ East Timor after the Portuguese¹⁴ pulled out in 1975. Pro-Jakarta militias¹⁵ laid waste to the country during the period surrounding the referendum, killing¹⁶ more than a thousand people and burning towns and villages, in an attempt to head off a vote for independence.

1 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

2 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

3 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

4 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

5 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。

6 battalions   

n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍

参考例句：

• God is always on the side of the strongest battalions. 上帝总是帮助强者。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Two battalions were disposed for an attack on the air base. 配置两个营的兵力进攻空军基地。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

8 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。

9 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

10 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

11 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

12 semblance   

n.外貌，外表

参考例句：

• Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。
• Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。

13 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

14 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

15 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

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。