VOA标准英语2009年-UN Security Council to Honduran Authoritie

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
25 September 2009

 
US Ambassador to the U.N. Security Council, Susan Rice, chairs a meeting of the Security Council, on recent developments in Honduras, 25 Sep 2009
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on the situation in the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras, where ousted¹ Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has been sheltering since Monday. The council condemned² acts of intimidation³ and called on the defacto Honduran authorities to stop harassing⁴ the embassy.

Security Council president for the month of September, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, read a statement from the council, in which it stressed the importance of respecting international law by preserving the inviolability of the embassy and the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

"They [the council] condemned acts of intimidation against the Brazilian Embassy and called upon the de facto government of Honduras to cease harassing the Brazilian embassy, and to provide all necessary utilities and services, including water, electricity, food, and continuity of communications," she said.

The council also called on all parties to remain calm and to avoid escalating⁵ the situation or to place individuals at risk of harm.

 
Celso Amorim addresses a meeting of the Security Council, on recent developments in Honduras, 25 Sep 2009
Friday's emergency session was requested by Brazil. Minister of External Affairs Celso Amorim told the council that the embassy has been under virtual siege by the de facto Honduran authorities.

In addition to cutting utilities and preventing supplies from going into the embassy, he said they have curtailed⁶ the movements of Brazilian diplomats⁷.

He expressed concern that the perpetrators of the coup⁸ that ousted Mr. Zelaya might try to storm the embassy and arrest him.

"The Brazilian government is gravely concerned that the same people who perpetrated the coup d'etat might threaten the inviolability of the embassy to forcibly arrest President Zelaya," he said. "This is not a mere⁹ suspicion or speculation¹⁰, some concrete indications of this possibly have been received."

Amorim said a bailiff was sent with a search warrant to the Brazilian Embassy, but was not let in. He said the de facto authorities also made reference in a letter to his government about the embassy as a "facility" run by the Brazilians, implying that it does not enjoy diplomatic status.

The council meeting was limited in scope to the situation in the Brazilian embassy in Honduras, not the wider political crisis.

After President Zelaya was forced from office in June in an army-backed coup he came to the U.N. General Assembly to plead his case. In a non-binding resolution, the General Assembly demanded that he be returned to office, saying he is the legitimate¹¹ constitutional leader of Honduras.

 

1 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

4 harassing   

v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人）

参考例句：

• The court ordered him to stop harassing his ex-wife. 法庭命令他不得再骚扰前妻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was too close to be merely harassing fire. 打得这么近，不能完全是扰乱射击。 来自辞典例句

5 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

6 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

9 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

10 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

11 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。