VOA常速英语2008年-US Appeals for Dialogue in Colombia-Ecuador Dis

By David Gollust
State Department
03 March 2008

The United States Monday appealed for a diplomatic solution of the dispute between Colombia and Ecuador spurred by Colombia's cross-border attack against FARC rebels inside Ecuador. The State Department called on Venezuela to stay out of the affair. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

State Department officials say they hope Colombia and Ecuador can resolve the dispute bilaterally¹ or through the Organization of American States, the OAS, while saying there is no reason Venezuela should be involved militarily or in any other way.

Tensions between Ecuador and Colombia have been running high since Saturday when Colombian troops conducted a raid just inside Ecuador. Seventeen FARC rebels were killed, including one of its top commanders, Raul Reyes.

The situation was complicated Sunday when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has been an antagonist² of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the Bush administration, said he was sending troops to the Colombian border in support of Ecuador.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said the United States has long considered the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a terrorist organization and supports the Bogota government's efforts against it.

At the same time, he expressed support for the territorial³ integrity and sovereignty of Ecuador and all the countries of the region under the OAS charter, and said the OAS, which is due to convene⁴ on the matter in Washington Tuesday, would be a useful forum⁵ for resolving it.

The spokesman said the only way Venezuela can be helpful in the situation is by adding its voice to those supporting of a diplomatic resolution:

"This for us is an issue between the governments of Colombia and Ecuador," he said. "We believe it's appropriate for them to work that out through diplomatic discussion. And our hope would be that other countries would act on this issue to the same extent, that what they would do would be encourage the parties sit down to work it out. I don't really see that there is any particular role for any other country, certainly not a military role for them in this issue."

Officials here said the United States has not observed the military buildup President Chavez says he ordered along the Colombian border and suggested his remarks on the issue were mainly political posturing⁶.

Tensions between Colombia and Venezuela have been on the rise in recent months, amid friction⁷ over intervention⁸ by Mr. Chavez on behalf of hostages held by the FARC, and complementary remarks he has made about the rebel group.

Colombia's government says documents recovered from the computer of the slain⁹ rebel leader show links between the leftist rebels and the government of President Chavez. Colombia says it plans to share the documents with the OAS.

State Department spokesman Casey said the Bush administration understands and fully¹⁰ supports Colombian efforts to respond to the challenge posed by the FARC, which he said has "made life miserable¹¹" for the Colombian people for more than two decades.

He said he was unaware¹² of any U.S.-Colombian collaboration¹³ in Saturday's attack into Ecuador and said U.S. officials learned of it only after it had occurred.

1 bilaterally   

[医]adv.两侧，双向地

参考例句：

• The data in the Performance Test shall be Bilaterally recorded and confirmed. 在生产线考核期间的数据应由双方共同记录并确认。
• Anatomic constraints may preclude the insertion a transarticular screw unilaterally or bilaterally. 解剖制约可能妨碍单边或双边插入关节螺钉。

2 antagonist   

n.敌人，对抗者，对手

参考例句：

• His antagonist in the debate was quicker than he.在辩论中他的对手比他反应快。
• The thing is to know the nature of your antagonist.要紧的是要了解你的对手的特性。

3 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。

4 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

7 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

8 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

9 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

12 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。

13 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。