VOA标准英语2008年-G8, African Leaders Discuss Zimbabwe

Leaders from the world's biggest industrial nations met with African heads of state to discuss the political crisis in Zimbabwe. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, African leaders are divided over calls for sanctions against Zimbabwe's long-time ruler Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe's political crisis dominated more than three hours of talks among chiefs of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations and heads of state from Algeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana.

The United States has drafted a United Nations resolution to impose targeted sanctions including an arms embargo¹ and a travel ban against President Mugabe and his allies. Mr. Mugabe won re-election last month in a runoff boycotted² by the chief opposition³ candidate because of attacks against opposition supporters.
　
President George W. Bush in Toyako, Japan, 07 Jul 2008

Speaking to reporters at the Group of Eight summit in Japan, U.S. President George Bush said G8 leaders listened very carefully to their African colleagues about their concern for what is going on in Zimbabwe.

"I care deeply about the people of Zimbabwe. I am extremely disappointed in the elections which I labeled a sham⁴ election," President Bush said.

President Bush spoke⁵ alongside Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who is the chairman of the African Union. That group's meeting in Egypt last week called for talks to establish a national unity⁶ government but did not endorse⁷ sanctions. President Kikwete told President Bush that, as friends, they would ultimately come to an understanding about the best way forward.

"The concerns that you have expressed are indeed the concerns of many of us on the African continent," he noted⁸. "At the last summit of the African Union, many leaders expressed their dissatisfaction at the way things happened. But also we agreed on the way forward. The only area that we may differ is on the way forward. You see differently, but for us in Africa we see differently."

The U.S. Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, Dan Price, told reporters that not all African leaders are in a position to support sanctions at this time. But he stressed there was broad agreement between G8 and African leaders about the need for the international community to unite behind a common approach to the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino said some African leaders are working toward a power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe, and the United States is waiting to see what such an agreement would look like. For example, she said, would such a government include President Mugabe?

Perino said the current government does not reflect the will of Zimbabweans who voted for change in the first round of balloting⁹ in March. The opposition party won a majority of parliamentary seats in that poll. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai out-polled President Mugabe in that vote, but did not top fifty percent, leading to last month's runoff.

President Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980, has said he is prepared to talk with political opponents but only if they first recognize him as the legitimately-elected president.

　

 

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

7 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句