VOA常速英语2014--克里赴伦敦参加叙利亚会谈

 

Kerry to London for Friends of Syria Meeting 克里赴伦敦参加叙利亚会谈

STATE DEPARTMENT — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry travels to London Wednesday for a meeting of foreign ministers from nations backing opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Those countries are boosting their support for the rebellion in the absence of talks on a transitional government for Damascus.

With rebel and government forces battling for control of areas in the northern province of Hama, prolonged international efforts to find a political solution to the crisis are on hold.

由于叛军和政府军在北部哈马省为控制该地区而战，国际上长期以来为政治解决危机的努力就停止了。

Stepping down as the chief international mediator¹, Lakhdar Brahimi pointed² out that Syria's conflict eventually will end.

已经辞去首席国际协调员一职的拉赫达尔·卜拉希米说，叙利亚的冲突最终会结束的。

"The question is how many more dead, how much more destruction there is going to be before Syria becomes again the Syria we have known?" asked Brahimi.

“问题是在叙利亚恢复正常之前还会发生多少死亡和破坏。”

Kerry said President Assad is blocking a political solution.

克里说阿萨德总统在阻扰政治解决途径。

"This represents the continuation of the stubborn clinging to power of a man who is willing to drop barrel bombs on his people, to gas them, to shell artillery³ on innocent civilians⁴, to starve people in their homes, and somehow claim a right to be able to run a country. I don't think the civilized⁵ world is going to stand for that," said Kerry.

“这就说明这个顽固的人还在死死抓住大权，同时向本国人民投掷炸弹，用毒气毒死他们，向无辜平民发射炮弹，让人们活活在家饿死，同时又声称自己有权利管理国家，我认为这个文明世界是不会支持这个的。”

President Assad is running for re-election, denouncing his opponents as terrorists who he says are fighting to topple Syrian democracy. It's a strong position for the president, said former U.S. ambassador Adam Ereli.

阿萨德总统目前在准备连任，他谴责反对派是恐怖分子，说他们想推翻叙利亚的民主制。美国前大使亚当·艾瑞里说这是阿萨德处于强势地位。

"Bashar al-Assad is not going to make any concessions⁶, is not going to negotiate in good faith, is not going to entertain any kind of change to the status quo as long as he's sitting pretty. And he is sitting pretty. He's in control," said Ereli.

“巴沙尔·阿萨德不准备做出让步，不准备真诚谈判，只要他还处于有利地位，他就不准备对现状做出任何改变。他目前仍据有优势，还在控制着大局。”

Syrian opposition⁷ leaders want more from the international community to break President Assad's control.

叙利亚反对派领袖们希望国际社会更进一步削弱阿萨德总统的控制。

"We are asking to be able to neutralize⁸ that air force so that the Assad regime understands that it cannot win this militarily. If the Assad regime is pressured, we believe that the sponsors, the Russians and the Iranians, will understand that there is no way but a political solution," said Rime⁹ Allaf, a senior advisor¹⁰ to the Syrian Opposition Coalition¹¹.

Rime Allaf是叙利亚反对联盟的高级顾问，“我们准备将空军中立化，这样阿萨德政权就会明白他无法通过武力获胜。如果阿萨德政权感到有压力，我们相信他的支持者俄罗斯人和伊朗人就会明白除了政治途径别无选择。”

Absent a political solution, the international community must do more to protect civilians, said Human Rights Watch deputy Washington director Sarah Margon.

人权观察组织驻华盛顿副代表萨拉·马格说，由于没有政治解决途径，国际社会就必须加大对平民的保护。

"There needs to be a change. There needs to be a reason for all parties to come to the table. But even before that, I think what we're looking at is just basic fundamental calls for civilians not to be stuck in the middle of this conflict. Children should not be starved," said Margon.

“目前需要做出改变，需要有让各方来到谈判桌上的理由。但在此之前，我想我们要做的是发出基本的号召，号召不要让平民被困在这场冲突之中，不要让儿童饿着。”

Secretary Kerry and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius say the London meeting also will press Syria's government to comply with a deal to hand over its remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons.

国务卿克里和法国外长洛朗·法比尤斯说伦敦会议将向叙利亚政府施压，要求其遵守要求上缴其余化武库存的协议。

1 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

4 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。

5 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

6 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

9 rime   

n.白霜；v.使蒙霜

参考例句：

• The field was covered with rime in the early morning.清晨地里覆盖着一层白霜。
• Coleridge contributed the famous Rime of the Ancient Mariner.柯勒律治贡献了著名的《老水手之歌》。

10 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。