VOA标准英语2013--Kerry in Ethiopia for Security Talks

 

Kerry in Ethiopia for Security Talks

Soldiers from the European Union are helping¹ train Malian troops to fight insurgents² linked to al-Qaida terrorists. The deployment³ of a regional intervention⁴ force to replace French and Chadian troops in Mali is a central security issue for the African Union.

It is also an opportunity for the United States to help provide counter-insurgency training, explained Jennifer Cooke, the Africa director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"The Islamists are thinking; 'Time is on our side on this. We will wait out the French. And then we'll have this very weak West African force to confront.' So that's a big dilemma," she noted⁵.

Cooke said it is more than just a military challenge, because the African Union and Western allies need to help create civilian⁶ authorities to which Malian troops are accountable.

"Will the international community have the stomach now that the immediate⁷ threat is gone to stay with it, to stay supporting those forces, to stay on track with the pressure on a political solution and the governing structure eventually for the north?" Cooke asked.

African Union members also are facing continuing violence along the still-undecided border between Sudan and South Sudan where human rights groups say the outlawed⁸ Lord's Resistance Army is taking advantage of that instability.

At a time when Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is working to improve his image abroad, Human Rights Watch Deputy Washington Director Sarah Margon said it is an opportune⁹ moment for Sudan to distance itself from the LRA.

"It would really be in their interest, as they continue to try to re-emerge and regain¹⁰ their position in the international community, for them to tell to the LRA: 'This is not a place where you can continue to come. We will not allow it and we won't have it any more,'" Margon said.

African Union officials also are expected to discuss Nigeria's state of emergency against Boko Haram militants¹¹ in the north.

Secretary Kerry reaffirmed Washington's support for Nigeria's fight against extremism and its leadership role on the continent in recent talks with Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ashiru.

"We have a close working partnership¹², and Nigeria is a very important leader within the African Union as well as the Economic Community of West African States," Kerry said."Unfortunately, they are facing some tough violence in the northern part of the country, which we condemn¹³."

While U.S. officials say they are concerned about the destabilizing threat that militants pose for Nigeria, they also are calling on Nigerian security forces to protect civilians¹⁴ in ways that respect human rights, following reports of a "heavy-handed response to insecurity" in some northern communities. 

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

4 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。

5 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。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

9 opportune   

adj.合适的，适当的

参考例句：

• Her arrival was very opportune.她来得非常及时。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

10 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

11 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

12 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

13 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。