VOA标准英语2009年-Inter-Party Talks Deadlock Threatens Zimba

By Peta Thornycroft
Southern Africa
27 October 2009
Talks between Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to resolve the political deadlock¹ in the country's unity² government have failed and Movement for Democratic Change is boycotting⁴ parliament for the second week in a row.

The guarantors and facilitator of the political agreement that led to Zimbabwe's inclusive government in February say they are still hopeful the deadlock between Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai can be resolved. 
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said unity talks between President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai failed to ease Zimbabwe's political deadlock, 27 Oct 2009

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki, who facilitated the unity agreement, is still engaged with Zimbabwe, according to his spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga. He said Mr. Mbeki is in contact and "seized " with the situation.

AU Chairman Jean Ping says he he believes the deadlock is solvable. He says the African Union, which along with the Southern Africa Development Community guaranteed the political agreement, is "preoccupied⁵" with Zimbabwe.

The SADC troika on politics, defense⁶ and security is expected Thursday in Harare to try to break the most recent roadblock, which began October 16 when Mr. Tsvangirai said his Movement for Democratic Change had stopped formal contact with Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF, including a boycott³ of weekly Cabinet meetings.

The MDC says it is protesting ongoing⁷ breaches⁸ and violations⁹ of the political agreement.

The MDC says it has a long list of outstanding issues presented to Mr. Mugabe during four hours of talks Monday. The MDC says selective arrests and prosecutions¹⁰, failure to swear in MDC provincial¹¹ governors, and appointments of senior civil servants loyal to ZANU-PF are among some of the issues the MDC says need resolution.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the party has received reports of politically motivated attacks against its members and he said a senior party official had been beaten up Tuesday by thugs outside the MDC headquarters in Harare.

He said the MDC is hoping the SADC troika would end the impasse¹² between his party and ZANU-PF.

Ephraim Masawi, a spokesman for ZANU-PF has denied the party has fallen foul¹³ of the political agreement. One of Mr. Mugabe's closest confidantes, Didymus Mutasa, has accused Mr. Tsvangirai's MDC of being 'cry babies." He also said Mr. Mugabe is in power and had no intention of reducing his control.

The unity government agreement gave most of the social services ministries¹⁴ to the MDC and the security ministries, as well as justice, to ZANU-PF.

The third signatory to last year's political agreement, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, said Tuesday there will be further discussions between the three parties looking for a solution to genuine grievances¹⁵ from Mr. Tsvangirai's party and concerns raised by ZANU-PF. He said answers to problems had to be found and a time line established for resolving them.

Mr. Tsvangirai received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election last year but pulled out of the second round, citing violence against his supporters. The MDC narrowly beat ZANU-PF in elections for the legislature and also won control of all urban areas in local government elections.

1 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

2 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。

3 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

4 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

5 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 breaches   

破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背

参考例句：

• He imposed heavy penalties for breaches of oath or pledges. 他对违反誓言和保证的行为给予严厉的惩罚。
• This renders all breaches of morality before marriage very uncommon. 这样一来，婚前败坏道德的事就少见了。

9 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

10 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

11 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

12 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

13 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

14 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

15 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》