VOA标准英语2008年-Opposition Leader Tsvangirai Calls for Expanded

Zimbabwe's opposition¹ leader Morgan Tsvangirai has called for greater African involvement in Zimbabwe's crises. And as VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, the Movement for Democratic Change leader added his voice to growing calls for a transitional authority in his country.
　
Morgan Tsvangirai gestures as he addresses journalists during press conference in Harare, 25 Jun 2008

Morgan Tsvangirai briefly² emerged from his refuge at the Dutch Embassy and told reporters in Harare that the crisis in Zimbabwe demands greater African involvement, supported by armed peacekeepers.

"I am asking the African Union and SADC to lead an expanded initiative supported by the United Nations to manage what I will call a transitional process," Tsvangirai explained. "We are proposing that the AU facilitation team comprising eminent³ Africans set up a transitional period which takes into account will of the people of Zimbabwean as exercised on the 29th of March."

Tsvangirai listed four requirements for a transitional program, but top of his list was an end to state-sponsored violence.

"The violence must stop," he said. "All structures and infrastructures⁴ of violence must be withdrawn⁵ and disbanded . . . towards this objective, amongst other things war veterans, youth militia⁶ and others encamped on the edges of our cities, in towns and villages need to be sent home and be reintegrated into out society. Unofficial roadblocks along the roads and highways must be disbanded. These camps and roadblocks are the checkpoints of violence."

President Robert Mugabe continues to insist the presidential runoff poll will be held Friday as planned, even though Mr. Tsvangirai has withdrawn from the race. Tsvangirai said he remains⁷ convinced his decision to withdraw was the right decision, and he again said he believes the election will be an illegitimate sham⁸. He said his decision has received widespread support from within the region, the continent and the broad international community.

Tsvangirai also repeated his belief that a transitional period and dialogue are the only way forward for Zimbabwe in the current climate.

"The transitional period would allow the country to heal," Tsvangirai said. "Genuine and honest dialogue among Zimbabweans is the only way forward. A negotiated political settlement which allows the country to begin a national healing and the process: a, of economic reconstruction⁹; b, provision of humanitarian¹⁰ assistance; and c, democratization would be in the best interests of this country."

But he warned there could be no talks while the party's number two, Tendai Biti and some "2,000" political prisoners remain behind bars.

　

 

1 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。

2 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

3 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

4 infrastructures   

n.基础设施( infrastructure的名词复数 )；基础结构；行政机构；秘密机构

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。 来自互联网
• The increasingly fast urbanization process requires more and more infrastructures. 我国城市化进程不断加快，对城市基础设施的需求也越来越大。 来自互联网

5 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

6 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

9 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

10 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。