VOA常速英语2007年-Asian Leaders Express Concerns About Pakistan's

By Luis Ramirez
Bangkok
28 December 2007

Leaders across Asia are voicing condemnation¹ and shock over the killing² of Pakistani opposition³ leader Benazir Bhutto, and their fears for the future stability of the country. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok.

Condemnations and expressions of shock have poured from just about every nation in the region.

India, as Pakistan's neighbor and traditional foe⁴, has a special stake in Pakistan's stability. It has strongly condemned⁵ the assassination⁶ as a setback⁷ to the Pakistani democratic process and to regional stability. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised Ms. Bhutto, recalling that, during her time as Prime Minister, she worked to improve relations between the two historic adversaries⁸.

"She, on more than one occasion, gave expression to her feelings that relations between our two countries should be normalized and that we should work together to make South Asia a prosperous region of the world," recalled Prime Minister Singh.

Another of Pakistan's neighbors, China, expressed shock at the killing. A Chinese foreign ministry⁹ spokesman said Beijing extends its condolences to the families of Ms. Bhutto and other victims of the attack Thursday.

Japanese Foreign Minister Mashiko Komura said Japan firmly condemns¹⁰ what the official described as a "despicable and unforgivable act of terror," which he said was aimed at destroying, through violence, Pakistan's efforts to hold a fair and democratic election.

South Korea's foreign ministry said the South Korean government could not hide its shock over the killing and hopes Pakistan will be stabilized¹¹ by peaceful means.

The governments of Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia expressed similar condemnations. In a statement Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi called the assassination "a cruel act" and said, "the perpetrators must be brought to justice."

News of the assassination triggered a downturn in markets across the region Friday as concern grew about instability in Pakistan in the wake of the killing and the future direction of the country.

Those concerns were echoed by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who condemned Ms. Bhutto's assassination as a blow against peace in Pakistan. "This is an attack on the democracy of Pakistan. This is an attack on the stability of Pakistan," he said. "This is an attack on the forces of moderation of Pakistan. This assassination is an evil act, it's a cowardly act."

The Australian leader said it is his hope that a democratic Pakistan will be Benazir Bhutto's legacy¹², and he praised what he said was her "great courage and defiance¹³ in her resistance to extremism."

 

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed shock. In a statement conveyed through a spokesman, he said he hopes the Pakistani government will do what it can to prevent further bloodshed in what he said is "already a very polarized and fragile political and security environment."

1 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

2 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。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

8 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

13 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。