VOA常速英语2022--北约提议下月举行北约—俄罗斯理事会会议

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has sought a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council next month and contacted Moscow to secure its attendance, an alliance spokesman said Sunday.

北约发言人周日说，北约秘书长斯托尔滕贝格寻求在下个月召开北约-俄罗斯理事会会议，并已联系莫斯科确保其出席。

Stoltenberg has on several occasions in recent months offered to resume dialogue with Moscow through this body, set up in 2002 but currently inactive because of the conflict in Ukraine.

近几个月来，斯托尔滕贝格曾多次提出通过该机构恢复与莫斯科的对话，该机构成立于2002年，但目前因乌克兰冲突并不活跃。

But Russian authorities have not responded favorably.

不过俄罗斯当局的反应并不积极。

NATO has consistently denounced Russia's 2014 annexation¹ of Crimea from Ukraine.

北约一直谴责俄罗斯2014年吞并了原属于乌克兰的克里米亚。

Earlier this month, Moscow presented the West with sweeping² security demands, saying NATO must not admit new members and seeking to bar the United States from establishing new bases in former Soviet³ republics.

本月早些时候，莫斯科向西方提出了全面的安全要求，称北约不能接纳新成员，并试图阻止美国在前苏联国家建立新的基地。

The January 12 meeting is the first proposed by Stoltenberg since Moscow made its demands.

1月12日的会晤是斯托尔滕贝格自莫斯科提出要求以来的首次提议。

Tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied this weekend two months after a military coup⁴, demanding that soldiers, quote, "go back to the barracks," end quote, and calling for a transition to civilian⁵ rule.

军事政变发生两个月后的这个周末，数万名苏丹抗议者举行集会，要求士兵们“回到军营”，并要求转为文官统治。

Authorities had warned protesters against approaching sovereign and strategic sites in central Khartoum -- a reference to main government buildings and key institutions.

当局警告抗议者不要接近喀土穆中部的主权和战略地点——指的是主要的政府大楼和重要机构。

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the Greek island of Crete Sunday, the Athens Observatory⁶ said in a statement, with no damage yet reported.

雅典天文台在一份声明中称，希腊克里特岛周日发生5.4级地震，目前尚未有损失报告。

The quake had a depth of 10 kilometers, with an epicenter in the sea 45 kilometers south of the island of Kasos near Crete, the Observatory said.

该天文台称，地震深度为10公里，震中位于克里特岛附近卡索斯岛以南45公里的海域。

In the same area, another quake of 5.2 magnitudes struck at a depth of 9 kilometers again with no damage reported.

在同一地区，还发生了一起5.2级地震，震源深度9公里，同样没有损失报告。

Greece is located on a number of fault lines and is sporadically⁷ hit by earthquakes.

希腊位于多条断层线上，不时会受到地震的袭击。

1 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 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。

5 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。

6 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

7 sporadically   

adv.偶发地，零星地

参考例句：

• There are some trees sporadically around his house. 他的房子周围零星地有点树木。 来自辞典例句
• As for other aspects, we will sporadically hand out questionnaires. 在其他方面，我们会偶尔发送调查问卷。 来自互联网