VOA常速英语2017--美国为以色列受歧视发声

 

At the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the United States refused to participate in the debate session devoted¹ to “human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories.”

在联合国人权理事会第34次会议上，美国拒绝参加以“巴勒斯坦及其他受侵阿拉伯领土的人权现状”为主题的会议讨论。

The discussion took place in accordance with Agenda Item 7, which makes Israel -- and only Israel -- a permanent target of examination and discussion at each of the three yearly meetings of the Human Rights Council. Traditionally, countries with deplorable human rights records have blasted Israel during these sessions.

这样的会议讨论是基于议程项目7进行的，议程项目7将以色列——且仅仅以色列——列为联合国人权理事会每年3次大会持续的拷问和讨论目标。一直以来，人权记录惨不忍睹的很多国家也一直在这样的分会中对以色列进行炮轰。

In a written statement, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Nikki Haley criticized the fact that Israel is the only country permanently² on the Human Rights Council's agenda.

在一份书面声明中，美国常驻联合国大使妮基(Nikki Haley)对一项事实进行了批判，即以色列是联合国人权理事会唯一的永久议程。

It is not Syria, where the regime has systematically³ slaughtered⁴ and tortured its own people. It is not Iran, where public hangings are a regular occurrence. It is not North Korea, where the regime uses forced labor⁵ camps to crush its people into submission⁶. It is Israel.

为什么不是叙利亚呢？叙利亚的政体一直在全面地屠宰并折磨着自己的子民；为什么不是伊朗呢？伊朗的公开绞刑屡见不鲜；为什么不是朝鲜呢？朝鲜政权通过强迫性的劳改所迫使人民屈服。而最后是以色列得到了这样的对待。

Israel is a strong and long standing⁷ democracy in the Middle East.

以色列是中东地区国力强盛、源远流长的民主国家。

Ambassador Haley noted⁸ that the “so-called ‘Agenda Item 7' discredits⁹ the standing of the only UN body designed to address the state of global human rights by allowing actions to distract from their own abuses back home by churning out anti-Israel propaganda.”

大使妮基强调说，所谓的“议程项目7”败坏了联合国人权理事会这个唯一一个致力于解决全球人权问题现状的联合国机构，让很多国家可以无视自己国内不堪的滥用人权现状，而反过来大肆进行反以色列的抨击。

In a separate statement, Acting¹⁰ State Department Spokesperson Mark Toner said that the “continued existence of this agenda item is among the largest threat to the credibility of the Human Rights Council.”

在一次补充声明中，美国国务院代理发言人马克说，“议程项目7的持续存在是对联合国人权理事会信誉的最大威胁。”

He called the U.S. decision not to attend the Council's Item 7 General Debate session, “an expression of our deeply-held conviction that this bias¹¹ must be addressed in order for the Council to realize its legitimate¹² purpose.”

马克将美国拒绝参加联合国理事会议程项目7会议讨论的决定称之为“表达了我们根深蒂固的信念，即为了让联合国人权理事会实现自己的合法买不了，必须消除这种对以色列的歧视。”

Mr. Toner emphasized that it “does not serve the interests of the Council to single out one country in an unbalanced matter,” and that the U.S. “will vote against every resolution put forth¹³ under this agenda item and is encouraging other countries to do the same.”

马克还强调说，“单独针对某个国家进行抨击是一种不平衡的做法，不符合联合国人权理事会的利益，”他还说，美国“会对议程项目7下做出的一切决议投反对票，并支持其他国家持相同的做法。”

“The U.S.,” said Spokesperson Toner, “is dedicated¹⁴ to the pursuit of respect for international human rights by all countries in the world, and we call on all member states and international partners who are committed to human rights to work with us to pursue much needed reforms in the UN Human Rights Council.”

马克说，“美国致力于追求每个国家尊重全球人权，我们呼吁所有致力于保护人权的联合国理事会成员国和国际伙伴与我们一道寻求联合国人权理事会进行必要的改革。”

1 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

2 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

3 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

4 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 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。

9 discredits   

使不相信( discredit的第三人称单数 )； 使怀疑； 败坏…的名声； 拒绝相信

参考例句：

• His theories met with general discredits. 他的理论遭到普遍怀疑。
• The man who discredits the supreme certainty of mathematics is feeding on confusion. 一个人如怀疑数学的极端可靠性就是陷入混乱。

10 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

11 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。

12 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。

13 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

14 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。