VOA标准英语2010年-Bosnia and Herzegovina Still Strugglin

In The Hague, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has resumed his own defense¹ in his war crimes trial for what he called Serbia’s “just and holy cause” against Muslim aggression² during the war in Bosnia in the 1990s.
 
But nearly 20 years after it gained its independence from the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still struggling to overcome the political and economic legacies³ of that split.
 
Political Backsliding

Bosnian journalist Kemal Kurspahic, war-time editor of the Bosnian daily newspaper Oslobodjenje, says that in recent years Bosnia and Herzegovina has actually slid backwards⁴ in its efforts to join European institutions such as the European Union.

“Over the last four years, we had paralyzing policies in place, and I think Bosnia was left behind [by] its neighbors, both Croatia and Serbia, in their efforts to join the European Union,” Kurspahic said.
 
The Parliament of Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb entity⁵ that under the terms of the 1995 Dayton Accords is part of a multiethnic state, has passed a law making it easier to hold referenda on national issues.  In fact, some analysts⁶ see Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik’s move as a possible step toward an independence referendum.

But Kurspahic is not so sure.  “Dodik is on the record as stating that his goal is the weakening of the state and the strengthening of his entity,” Kurspahic notes. “He even talks about the dissolution of Bosnia in a few years and that is his ultimate goal.” 

However, the major international players – including NATO, the United States, and the European Union – have stated repeatedly over the past couple of months that they will never recognize any movement to a further partitioning of the country, according to Kurspahic.

Bosnian Serb Sentiment in Conflict with Political Reality in Serbia

Ljiljana Smajlovic, president of the Serbian Association of Journalists, suggests that whatever the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska may say publicly, Bosnia is unlikely to be dissolved.

 “The Prime Minister is saying that he wants to have a referendum on his interpretation⁷ of the Dayton Agreement,” Smajlovic said.  According to Mr. Dodik, Smajlovic said the Dayton Agreement never intended to give the U.N. High Representative the powers he has reserved. 
 
“So that referendum – if it takes place, and I suspect it will take place – is not about breaking away from Bosnia,” Smajlovic explained. “It’s about reaffirming the rights of Republika Srpska.”

Nonetheless, the critical factor is that Boris Tadic, the President of Serbia, believes that any attempt to upset the Dayton Agreement would be detrimental⁸ to Serbia, Smajlovic emphasizes.  “It could threaten Serbia’s European perspective, which really is Serbia’s top priority.”

Above all, President Tadic is trying to present himself as a regional leader who is indispensible to both Brussels and Washington, Smajlovic said.
 
“In exchange for Washington and Brussels allowing Serbia to try to thwart⁹ U.S. ambitions to make Kosovo a member of the United Nations, our Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is trying precisely¹⁰ to do that – to thwart U.S. ambitions in the region,” she explained.
 
And Serbia is taking this diplomatic tack¹¹, Smajlovic suggests, because “Kosovo is far more important to Serbia than Republika Srpska is.”

Economic Issues Ascendant

Bosnia and Herzegovina has serious economic problems regarding its membership prospects¹² in the European Union, Smajlovic notes.
 
“It has not even gotten on the Schengen List,” Smajlovic observed.  In fact, Republika Srpska is doing much better economically than Bosnia and Herzegovina.  “I think it has to do with the fact that the Muslims and Croats have divergent ends,” she suggests.
 
“I don’t see how the Bosniaks and the Croats can legitimately¹³ and seriously blame the Serbs or Republika Srpska for their economic problems,” Smajlovic said.  “I think it is simply easier to make decisions in Republika Srpska than in the Bosniak-Croat Federation¹⁴ because they are at cross-purposes and because there is not much trust,” he adds.

Democratic Institutions at Issue

“The Muslim-Croat Federation has not recognized its potential for economic development, partly because of its disunity and partly because of its lack of central institutions,” said Balkan expert Daniel Nelson, author of many books on the region.  He noted¹⁵ that, if an investor¹⁶ goes to Bosnia and Herzegovina, he doesn’t know whom to talk to.

 “But in Republika Srpska, decisions are easier because it’s a dictatorship,” Nelson said.  “It’s not a democracy, and they [the Bosnian Serbs] are impeding¹⁷ the creation of a Bosnia and Herzegovina that would be unified¹⁸; they are trying to torpedo¹⁹ it and destroy it.”
 
“We should never forgive the Bosnian Serbs for abrogating²⁰ the Dayton Accord,” said Nelson.  “Dodik and his sycophants²¹ have done that repeatedly, and they – not the Federation – have destroyed the possibility for a unified, multiethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he added.

Nelson said he agrees with Dennis Blair, the director of U.S. national intelligence, who recently warned that Bosnia is “Europe’s biggest security threat.”  So, the international community needs to take a stronger role, Nelson argued. 

“If it does, there is a possibility that Bosnia-Herzegovina as a state could be that multiethnic example for the world.  But, if it doesn’t, and if Bosnians want to go their separate ways, they are going to remain poor and conflict-ridden,” said Nelson.

 

1 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。

2 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

3 legacies   

n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症

参考例句：

• Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind. 书是伟大的天才留给人类的精神财富。 来自辞典例句
• General legacies are subject to the same principles as demonstrative legacies. 一般的遗赠要与指定数目的遗赠遵循同样的原则。 来自辞典例句

4 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

5 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

8 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

9 thwart   

v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)

参考例句：

• We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
• I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。

10 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

11 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

12 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

13 legitimately   

ad.合法地；正当地，合理地

参考例句：

• The radio is legitimately owned by the company. 该电台为这家公司所合法拥有。
• She looked for nothing save what might come legitimately and without the appearance of special favour. 她要的并不是男人们的额外恩赐，而是合法正当地得到的工作。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

14 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

17 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

18 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

19 torpedo   

n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏

参考例句：

• His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
• Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。

20 abrogating   

废除（法律等）( abrogate的现在分词 )； 取消； 去掉； 抛开

参考例句：

• Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty-starting now. 噢，同时，从现在开始，美国也要取消太平洋自由贸易区谈判。

21 sycophants   

n.谄媚者，拍马屁者( sycophant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The office is a menagerie of egotists and sycophants. 该办公室乃是自私者与谄媚者汇集之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They even praise such a disappointing program, they really are sycophants. 这么差劲的节目也有人夸赞，真是捧臭脚！ 来自互联网