VOA标准英语2010年-Liberians React to Temporary Lifting o

The temporary lifting of that embargo¹ is meant to help government and UN security forces, but Liberians are divided about whether the move will help.

Scott Stearns | Dakar 03 January 2010

 

The U.N. Security Council has lifted its arms embargo on Liberia for one year, primarily to allow its peacekeeping mission there to receive military equipment.  But it also allows the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to acquire arms and training to fight crime.

Government misuse² of force under former President Charles Taylor brought about the arms embargo 10 years ago.  Its lifting, even temporarily, has been met with both pride and worry among Liberians still recovering from a long civil war.

Businessman Matthew Wesseh says the move recognizes the progress the government has made to restore security in Liberia.

"It is the constitutional responsibility of the government to protect its citizens against external forces," he said.  "We are not opting³ for external aggression⁴.  But it is within the purview⁵ of every government the world over to protect its citizens."

 

More than arms, Wesseh says it is the proper training of security forces that will prevent a repeat of abuses under former President Taylor and former President Samuel Doe.

"My government, the government of Liberia, must be in a position to treat this issue with care and caution so that those who are going to carry arms in this country must be people who are trained, who understand that indeed the issue of human rights is around, and nobody can use their arms to suppress or intimidate⁶ any peaceful citizen in this country and think that he or she will get away with impunity," he added.

The United Nations is helping⁷ to train a new generation of soldiers and police in Liberia.

Student Amazee Quayesee hopes arming that new police force will reduce violent crime.

"Armed robbery in this country is on the rampage," he said.  "The government is trying to put in mechanisms⁸ to stop it, but it is still going on the rampage.  So for me, I feel the arms embargo that was lifted by the international community is very, very helpful for the government to protect its citizens."

Youth leader E. Barclay Carr says there is no shortage of weapons in Liberia.  He fears the embargo's suspension will only lead to more crime.

"There is a security implication relative to the arms embargo being lifted," he noted⁹.

Carr says the history of Liberia's struggle makes it too unstable¹⁰ a place for more weapons.

"In Liberia, for nearly 15 years, people got used to arms," he added.  "People used arms for their survival.  So now if the arms embargo has been lifted, people will start trading arms in this country."

Businessman Francis Manney agrees that it is too soon to suspend the embargo.

"To me I feel it is inappropriate now to lift the arms embargo for the fact that the peace in Liberia is fragile," he said.  "The total manpower of the military that should have been trained has not reached the mark. Our borders are still vulnerable."

Manney is concerned by the instability in neighboring Guinea and by supporters of former President Taylor who are angry about his ongoing¹¹ trial for crimes against humanity.

"There are people who are having mixed feelings among themselves," he added.  "And so these people have the power.  They have the finances.  Now if you should lift the arms embargo today, I am afraid that there will be many arms smuggled¹² into Liberia, and it will cause serious problems for Liberia, because there is still some divide in our Liberian society."

Recognizing Liberia's still-fragile peace, the Security Council extended its travel ban on key members of the Taylor administration.  The U.N. says its force remains¹³ in charge of overall security in Liberia.  It sees the temporary lifting of the arms embargo as a chance for the current government to fight crime, help secure its borders, and combat piracy¹⁴ and smuggling¹⁵.

Reporting by Prince Collins in Monrovia

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

3 opting   

v.选择，挑选( opt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• What courses are most students opting for? 多数学生选什么课程？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Wells doesn't rule out opting out and then re-signing with Houston. 威尔斯没有排除跳出合同再与火箭重签的可能。 来自互联网

4 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

5 purview   

n.范围；眼界

参考例句：

• These are questions that lie outside the purview of our inquiry.这些都不是属于我们调查范围的问题。
• That,however,was beyond the purview of the court;it was a diplomatic matter.但是，那已不在法庭权限之内；那是个外交问题。

6 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

11 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。

12 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

15 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。