VOA标准英语2009年-Five Countries Elected to Two-Year Securit

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
15 October 2009

 
U.N. Security Council (file photo)
Bosnia, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria were elected Thursday to non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council. They will serve two-year terms starting January 1 and will participate in decisions ranging from deploying¹ U.N. peacekeepers to imposing² sanctions.

This year's vote lacked the suspense³ of some previous elections, because all five candidates were unopposed and succeeded in getting the two-thirds majority required in the first round of secret ballots⁴.

Ten of the council's 15-seats are filled by regional representatives for two-year terms. The other five seats are permanent ones held by veto-wielding members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

British Ambassador John Sawers said the additions to the council will make it even stronger.

"We have two large countries in Brazil and Nigeria who carry the weight of being a regional power," he said. "We have two countries in Lebanon and Bosnia who have been through conflict and can bring their own national experiences to the Security Council."

Lebanon and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are in the unusual position of also being on the council's agenda.

Bosnia is a multiethnic country still recovering from the war that accompanied the break-up of Yugoslavia. It has experienced internal divisions and rising tensions in the past year, as major political parties struggle to agree on a basic political structure.

Bosnian Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj said the current political crisis would not adversely⁵ impact its role on the council or prevent it from taking common positions.

"The situation in Bosnia is going to be stable, it is now stable. What is happening now is some political crisis that [also] happens elsewhere in world," he said.

Lebanon has one of the largest U.N. peacekeeping forces in the south of its country. It is also the subject of a U.N.-backed tribunal which is considering indictments⁶ in the 2005 assassination⁷ of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Internal divisions have prevented the formation of a new government following June elections.

One council diplomat⁸ said Lebanon could prove to be something of a wild card on Middle East issues - particularly Iran's nuclear ambitions. He noted⁹ that if the Iranian dossier comes back to the council for possible sanctions, Lebanon, which will likely have members of Iranian-backed Hezbollah's political wing in its next government, could have a conflict of interest and choose to abstain¹⁰ from voting.

Meanwhile, Brazil joins the council for the 10th time. It is a founding member of the United Nations and was part of the first group elected to the Security Council in 1946.

Nigeria has served three times before. Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe said his country would work to prevent crises and conflicts, deal with human rights issues and generally promote international solidarity¹¹.

"We intend that working with all the other members of the U.N. Security Council," he said. "Our preventive diplomacy¹² will be central to our approach to a lot of issues."

Nominations¹³ for non-permanent seats are not required, countries simply announce their intention to run. Consideration is given to an equitable¹⁴ geographical¹⁵ distribution and a candidate's contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security.

The five new members are replacing out-going council members Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya and Vietnam. In addition to the five permanent council members, they will join Austria, Mexico, Japan, Turkey and Uganda on the 15-member council.

1 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

2 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

3 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

4 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 adversely   

ad.有害地

参考例句：

• We commented adversely upon the imbecility of that message of telegraphic style. 我们对着这条电报式的愚蠢的留言发泄了一通不满。
• Widely fluctuating exchange rates may adversely affect international trade. 浮动幅度很大的汇率可能会对国际贸易产生有害的影响。

6 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

7 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

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 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。

10 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

11 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

12 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。

13 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

14 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

15 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。