VOA标准英语2009年-Sri Lanka Expelling Senior UN Official

Sri Lanka's government is ordering the spokesman for the U.N. Children's Fund to leave the country. Our correspondent reports the expulsion stems from comments by the official that appeared in the international media in recent months.
　
Sri Lanka

The United Nations confirms the spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka has been ordered to leave for what the government says were adverse² remarks he made.

The visa for James Elder, an Australian, has been canceled effective Monday (Sept. 7), but officials say after an appeal from the United Nations he will be allowed to stay there under September 21.

Such an expulsion involving the United Nations is unusual, according to UNICEF regional communications chief Sarah Crowe.

"It is somewhat rare," said Sarah Crowe. "We do work in many sensitive parts of the world and we are in more than 140 countries. We are there, of course, at the request and the invitation of any government."

Sri Lanka this year tightly controlled media coverage³ of fighting that led to the defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
　
UNICEF

The government also harshly criticized correspondents, international organizations and aid workers who it perceived of having a bias⁴ against it and sympathy for the rebels.

Four months ago Elder spoke¹ about what he called the "unimaginable hell" suffered by Tamil children caught in the conflict.

UNICEF's Crowe, speaking to VOA from Nepal, contends the agency did not take sides.

"No, I believe certainly UNICEF's voice has remained one of impartial⁵ advocacy," she said. "And we will continue to do that, no matter what the circumstances are. And that voice of impartial advocacy has to be on behalf of those who are most vulnerable and who do not have a voice."

During the military's final offensive to crush the rebels, UNICEF said hundreds of children had been killed in the months of battle in the north. The organization more recently has called for the government to allow unhindered access to aid workers in make-shift camps that house hundreds of thousands of Tamils, including women and children.

Tens of thousands of people died in the conflict, which began in 1972. Sri Lankan troops this May wiped out the rebels and killed the group's founder⁶ and leader.

1 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。

2 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

5 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

6 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。