VOA标准英语2009年-Southern African Leaders Prepare for Zimbabwe C

Southern African leaders are to hold a summit in South Africa Monday aimed at reviving deadlocked² negotiations³ over a unity⁴ government in Zimbabwe. But parties to the talks are not optimistic saying positions have hardened since a power-sharing agreement was signed four months ago.
　
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, left, and new Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai pose after signing the power-sharing accord, 15 Sept 2008

Zimbabwean leaders continue to express hope that they will reach an agreement and negotiations continue behind the scenes since the Zimbabwe crisis talks ended in a deadlock¹ Monday in Harare.

Yet President Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF and Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change say they will not compromise further when Southern African leaders meet in Pretoria Monday to try to break the deadlock.

A Professor at England's Kent University, Alex Magaisa, says Zimbabweans are losing hope that the dispute can be resolved by the Southern African Development Community.

"Zimbabwe has reached a cul-de sac [dead end] with SADC," said Magaisa. "It's not going to do anything new. I don't think the MDC can expect anything positive that can come out of SADC as far as its interests are concerned. What is there on the table is what is there. I don't think it's going to change."

A power-sharing agreement signed last year stalled after the MDC protested that the Mugabe government was refusing to share key ministries⁵ and senior government posts. The MDC also demanded the release of political prisoners detained in recent months.

SADC mediators have proposed that Mr. Tsvangirai join Mr. Mugabe in a unity government and they work out the remaining differences later.

The MDC says Mr. Mugabe has already violated parts of the agreement and fears that he will continue to do so. Mr. Mugabe has said he would form a government alone if necessary.

Magaisa says the MDC has few viable⁶ options other than to seek change from within the government.

"What needs to be done is for MDC to very carefully measure the cost and benefits of whatever course of action it may take," said Magaisa. "If they decide to stay out of government they have to ask themselves what is it that they can do which they haven't done in the past 10 years in order to win power."

A professor at the University of Johannesburg, Adam Habib, says military intervention⁷ is not an option and sanctions hurt primarily poor people rather than the wealthy political elite⁸.

He says the only realistic option is a negotiated solution.

"The dilemma⁹ with political negotiations is how do you get leverage¹⁰ over Mugabe and even Tsvangirai for that matter? How do you as a group of mediators get the belligerent¹¹ parties to start dealing¹² in good faith with each other and to recognize the travesty¹³ that is befalling the Zimbabwean people," said Habib.

He says SADC is divided internally between members who want to be tough on the parties and those who favor quiet diplomacy¹⁴. He says SADC can succeed only if it unites behind a plan that is supported by all the parties and includes certain guarantees.

"It does mean making guarantees for Zimbabwe's military leaders and even Mugabe himself," said Habib. "And it does mean agreeing on what are the punitive¹⁵ measures on parties if they don't agree to abide¹⁶ by such a settlement."

Habib says proposals to take the matter to larger bodies like the African Union or the United Nations will only complicate¹⁷ and prolong the process. As a result, SADC is best suited to seek a solution.

"SADC has no option because the consequences are beginning to regionalize," he said. "What you're beginning to see is simply not only migrations¹⁸ across borders now, but you're seeing a cholera¹⁹ epidemic²⁰. And the cholera epidemic is beginning to impact a range of surrounding countries."

His remarks came as the World Health Organization Friday announced that cholera, an easily preventable disease, has now affected²¹ more than 50,000 people in Zimbabwe and has killed more than 2,700.

Neighboring countries are reporting thousands of cholera cases and several dozen deaths within their borders.

In addition, an estimated three million Zimbabweans have fled to neighboring countries straining social and humanitarian²² services there. South Africa says the number of refugees crossing its border each day has more than doubled in recent months.

1 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

2 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

6 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

7 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。

8 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

9 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

10 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

11 belligerent   

adj.好战的，挑起战争的；n.交战国，交战者

参考例句：

• He had a belligerent aspect.他有种好斗的神色。
• Our government has forbidden exporting the petroleum to the belligerent countries.我们政府已经禁止向交战国输出石油。

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 travesty   

n.歪曲，嘲弄，滑稽化

参考例句：

• The trial was a travesty of justice.这次审判嘲弄了法律的公正性。
• The play was,in their view,a travesty of the truth.这个剧本在他们看来是对事实的歪曲。

14 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

15 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

16 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

17 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

18 migrations   

n.迁移，移居( migration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It foundered during the turmoils accompanying the Great Migrations. 它在随着民族大迁徙而出现的混乱中崩溃。 来自辞典例句
• Birds also have built-in timepieces which send them off on fall and spring migrations. 鸟类也有天生的时间感应器指导它们秋春迁移。 来自互联网

19 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

20 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

21 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

22 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。