VOA标准英语2009年-US Action Divides Kenya's Leadership

By Alan Boswell
Nairobi
28 September 2009

The Kenyan government appears torn over the travel ban threats issued to 15 senior Kenyan officials seen as blocking the nation's reform process. The prime minister has responded by saying the United States has the right to regulate travel into its own country, but the Kenyan president wrote a letter Saturday to President Obama complaining of a breach¹ in international protocol².

 

 
Moses Wetangula, Kenya's foreign affairs minister, announced Monday that the Kenyan government was considering its options in response to what it views as a violation³ of diplomatic protocol by the U.S. administration.

"I would want to urge, particularly the American ambassador, that I have no doubt whatsoever⁴ that he is overstepping the boundaries of protocol of diplomatic etiquette⁵, and the country has options in such issues, which we do not wish to exercise yet," Wetangula said.

Last week the United States sent letters to 15 senior Kenyan officials warning that action could be taken against them if they were viewed as impeding⁶ key government reforms. The U.S. ambassador then announced that some of those targeted would be banned from traveling to the United States.

The letters were signed by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, but the U.S. ambassador said the action came from the "highest" level of the U.S. government.

The letter from Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki to his U.S. counterpart expressed concern that the United States was issuing private threats to civil servants over the public policies of his administration.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was in New York at the time to attend the United Nations Security Council meetings, responded to the initial U.S. announcement by saying that the United States had a right to take away travel rights and that it was correct to push for the reform agenda.

Back home, others have come out in support of the U.S. intervention⁷ as well. Cabinet ministers Mutula Kilonzo and James Orengo as well as a number of members of parliament have been quoted as saying that they welcome the move. The editorial board of the nation's largest newspaper also came down in favor of the U.S. decision to act.

But the Kenyan government has begun taking a much more hardline official attitude, lashing⁸ out at what it's government spokesperson deemed as "activism diplomacy⁹."

The foreign affairs minister denied that the government was falling behind on the reform process, noting that the one notable exception was the country's failure in creating a local tribunal to try suspected perpetrators of political violence.

To many Kenyans, the U.S. action represents an embarrassing slap on the wrist for a nation which received its national independence decades ago. Many public commentators¹⁰ have expressed being torn between the acknowledged need for public pressure on reforms and the desire to stand up for their country against foreign criticism.

Ngari Gituku, a Kenyan political analyst¹¹, says that the government's public fuss is necessary for any sovereign nation when any of its leaders are diplomatically acted against.

"Every country has to have its own honor. And when you talk about sovereignty, I think honor is part and parcel of the sovereignty we should observe as a nation," Gituku said.

The reforms being pushed for by the United States include the overhaul¹² of the police and judicial¹³ systems, finishing a crucial constitutional review process, fighting seriously against high level corruption¹⁴, and prosecuting¹⁵ those suspected of instigating¹⁶ post-election violence.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga head a coalition¹⁷ government formed after weeks of deadly chaos¹⁸ between the two presidential rivals. The United States has said that the targeted officials were almost split evenly between the two government sides. 
 
 

1 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

4 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

5 etiquette   

n.礼仪，礼节；规矩

参考例句：

• The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
• According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。

6 impeding   

a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的

参考例句：

• Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers. 坠落的石头阻滞了救援人员的救援进程。
• Is there sufficient room for the kiosk and kiosk traffic without impeding other user traffic? 该环境下是否有足够的空间来摆放信息亭？信息亭是否会妨碍交通或者行走？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

8 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

13 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

16 instigating   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Distant but clear Longyin instigating the eardrums of every person. 遥远却清晰的龙吟鼓动着每一个人的耳膜。 来自互联网
• The leader was charged with instigating the workers to put down tools. 那位领导人被指控煽动工人罢工。 来自互联网

17 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

18 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。