2007年VOA标准英语-G8 Summit Ends

By Sonja Pace
Heiligendamm
08 June 2007

Leaders of the G8 group of industrial nations have ended three days of meetings in the German Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm with a compromise on global warming and renewed pledges for Africa. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from the summit. 

Chancellor1 Angela Merkel, center and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right share a laugh during the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, 8 June 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070616/1512170.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

US President George Bush, left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right share a laugh during the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, 08 June 2007

For the past three days, this elegant seaside resort has hosted the leaders of some of the world's wealthiest nations. There have been formal working sessions, closed door bilateral² meetings, informal chats in the garden, walks on the seaside pier³ and group photos.

Summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made climate change and helping⁴ Africa major themes of this meeting and in a final news conference she said progress was made.

Mrs. Merkel said it is important that all G8 members acknowledged the dangers of unchecked global warming and have committed themselves to devising a long-term strategy to remedy the problem within the United Nations.

Mrs. Merkel characterized the G8 climate statement as a successful compromise even though she failed to win U.S. support for including mandatory⁵ limits on greenhouse gas emissions⁶.

Some environmental activists⁸ say the compromise is too weak, still others call it a failure.  The G8 leaders also renewed commitments to Africa through debt relief and other aid.  And, there was a pledge for $60 billion to combat AIDS, malaria⁹ and tuberculosis¹⁰.

Mrs. Merkel said that alone is not enough.  She said the G8 must honor promises made in the past and deepen its commitment to help the African continent develop in the future.   Some aid groups have welcomed the G8 pledges to fight AIDS.  Others called them disappointing.

Rock star activist⁷, Bono, who was also at the summit, accused the G8 of misleading people into thinking all the pledges would go to Africa, when instead he said the money is not earmarked specifically for Africa and would be spread globally.

Bono said the G8 used "bureaubabble" to hide its failure to help Africa.

"It's a maze¹¹, this labyrinthine¹² language is a maze that's deliberate," he said.  "We're supposed to get lost in this maze, but we are not lost, they are lost.  The G8 are lost."

In a final statement, the G8 also expressed support for continued efforts for a Middle East peace settlement and for pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program.

Mrs. Merkel said Iran should reconsider its actions.  The G8 warned that its members will support further measures against Iran if Tehran continues to defy U.N. resolutions to halt its uranium enrichment activity and related programs.

On the issue of Darfur, G8 leaders called for those violating human rights to be brought to justice.  They also said the G8 would support "appropriate action" in the Security Council, if the government of Sudan or rebel groups continue to fail to meet their obligations.

Joining Mrs. Merkel in Heiligendamm were the leaders of France, Italy, Britain, Russia, Canada, the United States and Japan. 

This was the first summit for the newly elected French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and the last for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who steps down June 27.

President Bush missed some of Friday morning's meetings due to an upset stomach.  He later rejoined the group and was present for the final group photo, before leaving the summit on Air Force One.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

6 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

10 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

11 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

12 labyrinthine   

adj.如迷宫的；复杂的

参考例句：

• His mind slid away into the labyrinthine world of doublethink.他的思绪，早滑进到双重思想迷宫般的世界里去。
• The streets of the Old City are narrow and labyrinthine.老城区的街道狭促曲折，好似迷宫一般。