2007年VOA标准英语-UN Sets Hariri Tribunal Vote

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
29 May 2007

The U.N. Security Council is to vote Wednesday to create an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination¹ of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. VOA's Peter Heinlein at U.N. headquarters reports.

U.N. Security Council

The Security Council president for May, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, emerged from closed-door consultations² Tuesday to announce that a landmark³ vote on the Hariri tribunal is set.

"It was a good discussion," he said. "The sponsors decided⁴ to go for a vote tomorrow [Wednesday]. I believe enough work has been done through the discussions that have taken place among the members, so the decision has been made to move forward."

Khalilzad acknowledged there are still some differences of views among members. But he expressed confidence that the legally-binding resolution establishing the tribunal has enough support for adoption⁵.

It is backed by co-sponsors France, Britain and the United States, along with the other three European Council members Slovakia, Italy and Belgium.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora asked for the unprecedented⁶ Security Council action after efforts to establish the court internally reached a stalemate.

The measure contains a so-called "sunrise clause" that delays creation of the court until June 10 to allow rival Lebanese factions⁷ time to break the stalemate. But Ambassador Khalilzad ruled out any further postponement⁸, saying it would open up the proceedings⁹ to what he called 'mischief¹⁰'.

"What has been agreed to by the sponsors is to give the Lebanese a final chance to come together, because the Lebanese prime minister has taken a substantial risk to ask for this to happen so if you give a lot of time to it, there is all kinds of opportunity for mischief making and negative effect on the situation in Lebanon, until the 10th of June is quite generous, and we feel that's adequate," he said.

Veto-wielding Russia has expressed concerns about several provisions in the resolution, including the invocation of Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter, which carries the force of law. But Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, suggested he would not block passage of the measure.

"We have no problem with the idea that things must move ahead with the tribunal," he said. "And we believe the cause of justice must be served. But we believe and we have shared our views with our colleagues on the Security Council extensively, that there are better legal ways to do it that would avoid some serious legal and possibly political repercussions¹¹ and consequences."

Security Council diplomats¹² say Russia is expected to abstain¹³ from Wednesday's vote, along with Council members China, South Africa, Qatar and Indonesia. That would allow the measure to pass with at least the minimum nine votes and no veto.

Former Prime Minister Hariri was killed in a suicide bomb blast in Beirut in February 2005. An initial U.N. inquiry¹⁴ into the assassination implicated¹⁵ senior Syrian intelligence officials. Syria has denied any involvement in the murder, calling it a heinous¹⁶ crime.

1 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。

2 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

6 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

9 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

10 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

11 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

14 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

15 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 heinous   

adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的

参考例句：

• They admitted to the most heinous crimes.他们承认了极其恶劣的罪行。
• I do not want to meet that heinous person.我不想见那个十恶不赦的人。