2006年VOA标准英语-UN Agencies to Clear Unexploded Munitions in Le

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
31 August 2006

U.N. agencies are joining forces to clear unexploded munitions¹ they say is endangering the lives of tens of thousands returning to Lebanon.  The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) has signed a formal partnership² with the U.N. Mine Action Service for the rapid clearing of unexploded weapons scattered³ across southern Lebanon.

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		UNHCR says thousands of cluster bombs and other explosives scattered across southern Lebanon

The U.N. refugee agency says thousands of cluster bombs and other explosives are scattered across southern Lebanon and must be rapidly cleared so displaced people can return home safely and reconstruction⁴ can begin.  It says these munitions are a major obstacle to the restoration of normal life.

The Lebanese government reports most of the approximately one million people who fled  during the conflict have returned home.  But UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond tells VOA in many cases, access to both their houses and the fields that provide their livelihoods⁵ has been blocked by unexploded ordnance⁶. 

"Even those people who are back in their houses or at least on their property are reporting finding cluster bombs and other explosives on a daily basis," he said.  "We have been asked by municipality leaders to provide mine awareness⁷ training for the children in several areas, especially around Tyre because those children are outside, they are playing, they see these unexploded ordnance, cluster bombs and so on and they do not know what they are." 

The Lebanese Army reports since the August 14 ceasefire, 11 people have been killed and 50 wounded by unexploded weapons, most of them were victims of cluster bombs.  The U.N. Humanitarian⁸ chief, Jan Egeland, says tens of thousands of cluster bombs are scattered throughout Lebanon.  Redmond says these weapons pose a particular danger to children.

"The bomblets from these cluster bombs can appear to be balls or small toys," he added.  "They are quite small and, in some cases, they are spherical⁹ so children can mistake them for a ball or some other kind of toy.  So, unless children are educated to stay away from these things and are shown pictures of what they can look like, they can really be in jeopardy¹⁰." 

The U.N. refugee agency and the U.N. Mine Action Service have cooperated on other mine clearance¹¹ projects in recent months, including in south Sudan.  But Redmond notes this is the first time the two agencies have cooperated on a rapid response to major contamination by unexploded ordnance during a humanitarian emergency.

1 munitions   

n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品

参考例句：

• The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
• He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

6 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 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。

9 spherical   

adj.球形的；球面的

参考例句：

• The Earth is a nearly spherical planet.地球是一个近似球体的行星。
• Many engineers shy away from spherical projection methods.许多工程师对球面投影法有畏难情绪。

10 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

11 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。