VOA标准英语2009年-Trade, Human Rights on Agenda as ASEAN Sum

By Daniel Schearf
Hua Hin, Thailand
23 October 2009

 
A Thai military police officer talks on his radio while guarding a hotel where the ASEAN Summit is taking place in Cha-Am of Hua Hin district, southern Thailand, 23 Oct 2009
Leaders of Southeast Asian nations are again gathering¹ in Thailand for meetings expected to focus on regional integration² and human rights issues.  Security at the summit is tight to prevent embarrassing protests that forced the cancellation³ of meetings in April.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations opened its annual meetings Friday with traditional music and dance that organizers said had roots across the region.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told delegates that ASEAN had come a long way in promoting regional cooperation in everything from trade to emergency response. He said ASEAN should be proud of its achievements.

"ASEAN has delivered and thrived through the many global and regional challenges it has come to face with. What remains⁴ is the onus⁵ that lies on ASEAN to prove that it can implement⁶ whatever has been agreed, declared, or envisioned," said Mr. Abhisit.

The group of 10 countries on Friday inaugurates its first human rights body. The ASEAN intergovernmental commission on human rights has been criticized for being powerless against rights abusers such as member Burma. 

But Mr. Abhisit says the body will help generate momentum⁷ to protect the people of Southeast Asia.

"It will also increase the comfort level of our ASEAN member states to be able to accept [a] more enhanced role of this body in the future," he said.

During three days of meetings Southeast Asian leaders will sign more than 40 agreements, many of them on trade.

More than 35,000 soldiers and police have been deployed⁸ in Bangkok and at the summit in Hua Hin to prevent protesters from disrupting the meetings.

The summit had to be canceled in April after anti-government protesters stormed the venue⁹ and leaders had to be evacuated¹⁰ by helicopter.

The Thai hosts have vowed¹¹ to prevent a similar occurrence.

"Now this is the last chance and, it's the last chance also for Thailand, to show its leadership in ASEAN, if it has any leadership left," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a visiting researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

Pavin says having the meetings in Hua Hin, the location of the Thai king's summer palace, should help prevent a repeat of anti-government protests.

The revered¹² 81-year-old king has been hospitalized for more than a month with a lung infection, but the palace says he is slowly recovering.

ASEAN's members are Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

3 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

4 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。

5 onus   

n.负担；责任

参考例句：

• The onus is on government departments to show cause why information cannot bedisclosed.政府部门有责任说明不能把信息公开的理由。
• The onus of proof lies with you.你有责任提供证据。

6 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。

7 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

10 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

11 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

12 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句