2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Calls on Sudan to Stop Darfur Violenc

By Scott Stearns
White House
28 April 2006

 
George Bush 
  
President Bush says the government in Sudan must do more to protect civilians¹ in the troubled Darfur region.

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The Bush Administration is trying to increase pressure on Khartoum to reign² in Arab militiamen responsible for much of the violence in Darfur that has displaced more than two million people and killed tens of thousands of people.

President Bush says it is time the government and Sudanese rebels make progress at ongoing³ peace talks in the Nigerian capital.

"The message to the Sudanese government is: we are very serious about getting this problem solved," said Mr. Bush.  "We don't like it when we see women raped⁴ and brutalized. And we expect there to be a full effort by the government to protect human life and human condition. We also recognize there is a parallel political track taking place, and that we urge the rebels as well as the government to forge a consensus⁵ at Abuja so that there is a way forward from the political impasse⁶ that has taken place thus far in Sudan."

President Bush wants African Union peacekeeping troops made part of a United Nations force with support from the NATO alliance.

He met with peace activists⁷ and relief officials at the White House in an effort to bring greater attention to the suffering of displaced civilians ahead of rallies Sunday in several American cities.

Some U.S. lawmakers were arrested as they protested outside Sudan's embassy in Washington, Friday. President Bush this week issued an executive order freezing assets of four Sudanese identified by the United Nations as having carrying out atrocities⁸ in Darfur.

1 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。

2 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

6 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》