2007年VOA标准英语-Study: Millions Affected by Cluster Bombs

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
16 May 2007

In a just released report Wednesday, Handicap International says hundreds of millions of people worldwide face a daily risk of death or maiming by cluster bombs. Lisa Schlein has more for VOA from Geneva, where the group launched its report.

CBU-97 Cluster Bomb

According to the report, more than 13,000 civilians² are known to have been killed or injured in recent years by cluster bombs, but it says the real figure is probably many times higher.

The report documents the impact of cluster munitions³ in 25 countries and areas, including Afghanistan, Kosovo and Laos.  It says data in most of these countries is scarce because they tend to be poor with few resources to keep track of the problem.

The head of Handicap International's policy unit, Stanislas Brabant, puts the number of casualties from cluster munitions at 100,000.  But he says this number is likely to be higher.  He tells VOA cluster bombs not only kill and maim¹ innocent civilians, they also devastate⁴ the economies of families and communities.

"A large chunk⁵ of the casualties are people who are feeding their families while working hard, sometimes in countries that are already devastated⁶ by war and that are trying to recover," he said.  "Families that are already fragile and often the people who are injured are the ones that work, those who either grow the land or take care of the cattle. These are people who are the breadwinners.  People who support their families." 

The study says many people are unaware⁷ of the dangers from unexploded cluster bombs that remain long after a war is over.  Children in these areas are in particular danger, because they often confuse the weapons with toys and pick them up.

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A US B-1B Lancer unleashes cluster munitions

Handicap International's Brabant says the main users of cluster bombs are the United States, Russia and Israel.  He says Israel reportedly dropped four million cluster bombs in Lebanon last summer.

He says there are reports the United States has dropped cluster bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last year and that Russia still uses these weapons in Chechnya. 

He says cluster munitions also have been used by what he calls non-state actors.

"This is something quite worrying," he added.  "Hezbollah used cluster munitions in Israel last summer.  The Taleban has also use used sub-munitions, cluster munitions also.  So, that underlines really the need for a strong treaty now to ban these weapons and to prevent [their] proliferation, in particular to these kind of groups." 

The Handicap International report is being released one week before governments gather in Lima, Peru, to discuss a draft text of a new treaty to ban cluster munitions and provide assistance to their victims. 

Opponents of cluster bombs believe momentum⁹ is building for a legally binding¹⁰ treaty to ban them.  They see parallels with the global campaign that succeeded in achieving an international treaty banning land mines.

1 maim   

v.使残废，使不能工作，使伤残

参考例句：

• Automobile accidents maim many people each year. 汽车车祸每年使许多人残废。
• These people kill and maim innocent civilians.这些人杀死和残害无辜平民。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 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。

4 devastate   

v.使荒芜，破坏，压倒

参考例句：

• A few days before,a fire had devastated large parts of Windsor Castle.几天前，温莎城堡的大部分被一场大火烧毁。
• Earthquakes can also cause tsunamis,which devastate coastal regions.地震还引发海啸，它直接破坏海岸地区。

5 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

6 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

7 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

8 unleashes   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• These findings qualify the common view that economic growth unleashes myriad discontents. 这些发现，纠正了一个普遍观点，即经济发展使人们尽情宣泄不满。 来自互联网
• This caster unleashes a storm of electric discharge on the enemy. 法师向敌人释放出一片电火花的风暴。 来自互联网

9 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

10 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。