2006年VOA标准英语-Ban Vows to Restore Trust At UN, Calls Middle E

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
14 December 2006

South Korea's Ban Ki-moon has been sworn in as U.N. secretary-general, and though he has yet to assume his position he is already vowing¹ to restore trust in the world body battered² by scandals and disputes among member states. VOA's correspondent at the U.N. Peter Heinlein reports Mr. Ban served notice that he intends to be an active voice on world affairs.

Ban Ki-moon

In his inaugural³ address, the 62-year-old career diplomat⁴ pledged to work to bridge differences among member states when he becomes secretary-general January 1. He spoke⁵ of rebuilding confidence in an organization battered by scandal and bitter disputes in recent years.

"My first priority will be to restore trust," said Ban Ki-moon. "I will seek to act as a harmonizer and bridge-builder."

Speaking to reporters after the oath taking, Mr. Ban said he hopes his mission to restore trust does not turn out to be "Mission Impossible."

He also answered questions on a variety of pressing global and regional issues, revealing that he is already actively⁶ engaged on pressing issues.

He said the deteriorating⁷ situation in the Middle East would be among his top priorities, with emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He warned Iran's leaders that their Holocaust⁸ denial and calls for Israel's elimination⁹ are "unacceptable."

"Denying historical facts, especially on such an important subject as the Holocaust is not acceptable," he said. "Nor is it acceptable to call for the elimination of any state or people. I would like to see this fundamental principle respected in rhetoric¹⁰ and practice by all the members of international community."

He had similarly strong words to describe the tragedy in Darfur, and suggested he would continue Secretary-General Annan's attempt to work with Sudan's leaders to reverse what he called "deteriorating" security conditions in Darfur.

"Secretary-General Kofi Annan has done a great effort to talk directly to President Bashir of Sudan and other leaders of the African Union," said Ban Ki-moon. "The suffering of the people of Darfur is simply unacceptable. Despite intensive efforts, the security appears to be deteriorating over recent days."

Mr. Ban's most difficult moment came when a reporter asked him to test out his command of French, a language he only recently learned.

By tradition, the U.N. leader must be able to have a working knowledge of French, and Mr. Ban has been studying hard since declaring his candidacy for the job nearly a year ago. But after stumbling with his first few French words, Mr. Ban gave up, and switched to an English/French mix.

"Je n'ai pas pu' [I wasn't able to follow all of your question] duplication of language, if you could speak lentement en francais [if you could speak more slowly in French, I will do my best, but it is very hard for me]."

Mr. Ban is said to be planning sweeping¹¹ changes in the vast U.N. bureaucracy in his first few months in office, and staffers had earlier suggested he might make his first appointments immediately after his swearing in ceremony.

But he told reporters Thursday he is not ready to announce names. He said only that he will almost certainly choose a woman to be deputy secretary general. She will be in charge of what is expected to be a renewed push for reform of the vast U.N. bureaucracy.

1 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

2 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

3 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

4 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

7 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

8 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

9 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

10 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

11 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？