2007年VOA标准英语-Uncertainty About Kosovo's Future Leaves Somber

By Barry Wood
Mitrovica, Kosovo
10 August 2007

Mitrovica is the second largest city in Kosovo and the only place in the mostly ethnically² Albanian province where minority Serbs comprise a sizeable urban presence. VOA's Barry Wood visited Mitrovica, a city divided ethnically by the Ibar River where security is provided mostly by French soldiers of the 16,000-strong NATO-led force that is posted in the disputed south Serbian province.

Kosovo police patrol on the main bridge of the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica

On the surface, what passes for normality prevails on both sides of Mitrovica's ethnic¹ divide. North of the Ibar river, there is the feel of small town Serbia. The Albanian language is not heard and nearly all shops are identified in the Cyrillic alphabet used in Serbia. The cars bear license³ plates from Serbia, not the blue and white of Kosovo. Cafes do a brisk business as people take shelter from the summer heat.

Across the bridge in the more populous⁴ ethnic Albanian south there is a bit more activity, but not much. An occasional French or Austrian vehicle from the NATO led security force passes by. People take little notice.

On the south side adjacent to the river the United Nations regional headquarters occupies a concrete building that still bears the name Yugobanka. Jerry Gallucci, a retired⁵ American diplomat⁶, is the U.N. administrator⁷ in Mitrovica. He says that the mood has darkened since Russian opposition⁸ last month blocked Security Council implementation⁹ of the plan for Kosovo's conditional¹⁰ independence.

"I think this uncertainty¹¹ is dangerous," he said. "And I think the only way to get through this is for the international community to find a way to move forward."

Gallucci concedes that with the plan for conditional independence on hold, there is again talk of territorial¹² partition as a solution to Kosovo's disputed status.

"People certainly are talking a lot more about partition these days," he said. "I think probably most people in the north, if they don't talk about it they dream about it. Although they also recognize it would not be a solution for the Serbs in the south."

Serbs number only 130,000 of Kosovo's nearly two million population. Half of Kosovo's Serbs live in north Mitrovica and its hinterland up to the border of Serbia proper. The plan for Kosovo's supervised independence would provide considerable local autonomy to the Serbs in the north. Gallucci makes no secret of his opposition to early elections in Kosovo, something advocated by some ethnic Albanian political leaders.

"Without agreement on all parties on participating in elections, it could mean that the elections produce outcomes that in fact don't help unify¹³ Kosovo but help divide it," he said.

Gallucci believes it would be a mistake to have elections in Kosovo before the newest round of status negotiations¹⁴ are concluded in December. If elections are called, Serb voters in the north might be asked by Belgrade to stage a boycott¹⁵, an action which could leave northern Kosovo's municipalities without legitimate¹⁶ leaders.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

3 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

4 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

7 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

8 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。

9 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

10 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

11 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

12 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

13 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

16 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。