voa标准英语2008-US Says Neighbors Hold Key to Ending Zimbabwe Cr

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that only a concerted international effort led by Zimbabwe's neighbors can end the political and humanitarian¹ crisis in that country. On Monday, Rice reiterated² her call for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to step down.

Rice's statement in Denmark late last week that it is "high time" for Mr. Mugabe to depart has set off an international groundswell, with leaders of Britain and France and European Union since echoing that call.

But the Secretary says the suffering of the Zimbabwean people is unlikely to end soon, unless there is a broader push for change in Harare led by the countries of the region.
　

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes remarks at the International Human Rights Awards Ceremony at the State Department, 8 Dec. 2008

Rice spoke³ Monday at a State Department ceremony at which the outspoken⁴ U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, was given the department's 2008 "Diplomacy⁵ for Freedom" award for his efforts to draw world attention to human rights abuses by the Harare government.

The Secretary said that with most international journalists barred from Zimbabwe earlier this year, McGee organized convoys⁶ of foreign diplomats⁹ to the countryside to witness what Rice termed a "reign⁷ of terror" by the Mugabe government against the political opposition¹⁰ in connection with disputed elections in March and June.

She said the forays led by McGee helped establish truth that could not be ignored, and helped build world pressure for a power-sharing accord in September that Mr. Mugabe has refused to implement¹¹.

"Ambassador McGee, I know you have tried to work to make the electoral process fair and to make the power-sharing arrangements work. But ultimately, you are working, you are working with and for the United States government to make life better for the Zimbabwean people," she said. "And we deeply hope that will soon come. It will come only, though, if there is a concerted international response - especially by the countries of the region, to the terrible, terrible humanitarian disaster that has now broken out - [not only] the cholera¹² epidemic¹³ in Zimbabwe but also to the terrible and outrageous¹⁴ behavior of the Mugabe government."

The State Department earlier urged southern African states to "step up" and use their leverage¹⁵ to end the crisis.

The European Union on Monday extended a travel ban to 11 more Zimbabwean officials, with both EU chief diplomat⁸ Javier Solana and French President Nicolas Sarkozy - whose country holds the rotating EU presidency¹⁶ - joining those urging Mr. Muagabe's departure from power.

A spokesman for the Zimbabwean leader in Harare dismissed the calls, saying that Mr. Mugabe is constitutionally elected and that foreign leaders - regardless of how powerful they may be - have no right to call on him top step down.

Zimbabwean officials have also accused foreign officials of exploiting the country's health crisis to rally support against Mr. Mugabe.

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday that the United States separates humanitarian assistance for Zimbabwe from any political differences it may have with the government.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, last week said it was providing an additional $600,000 to help combat the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe in addition to a previously-announced $4 million emergency water and sanitation¹⁷ project. USAID said that overall U.S. humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe, including food assistance, since October 2007 has been more than $220 million.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

5 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

6 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

7 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

8 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。

9 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》

10 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。

11 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

12 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

13 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

14 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

15 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

16 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

17 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。