VOA标准英语2014--捕鲸峰会选票维护日本捕鲸禁令

 

Whaling Summit Votes to Uphold Ban on Japan Whale Hunt 捕鲸峰会选票维护日本捕鲸禁令

LONDON—

The International Whaling Commission has voted to uphold a court ruling banning Japan from hunting whales in the Antarctic Ocean.  Conservationists hailed the ruling as a victory, but Tokyo says it will submit revised plans for a whale hunt in 2015.  

Commercial whaling has been banned since 1986.  Since then, Japan has still hunted whales under what it calls a "scientific whaling program."  Conservation groups say this program is nothing more than a poor disguise for commercial whaling.

In a surprise move in March, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled Japan must halt its whaling program in the Southern Ocean.

Delegates at the International Whaling Commission or IWC summit in Slovenia voted by a 35 to 20 majority Thursday, to adopt a resolution backing the International Court of Justice ruling.

Patrick Ramage from conservationist group the International Fund for Animal Welfare says it is a major blow to Japan’s hopes of resuming whaling next year.

“It is almost as though Japan's commissioner¹ is saying: ‘Pay no attention to the world court judgment² behind the curtain - we are going back to whaling in a sanctuary³ around Antarctica.’  Ultimately, Japan needs to reconcile itself to the emerging global consensus⁴ for whale conservation and the court order of the ICJ," said Ramage.

Because the resolution was not passed by consensus, it is not binding⁵ on all IWC members.  After the vote, Japan’s commissioner to the IWC Joji Morishita said Tokyo would submit a new plan to resume so-called scientific whaling off Antarctica.

“We will be providing, we will be submitting a new research plan in [the] Antarctic ocean so that we will implement⁶ that research activities starting from 2015.  And all these activities are, as we have been arguing, perfectly⁷ in line with international law, [based upon] scientific bases, as well as ICJ judgment language," said Morishita.

New Zealand, which sponsored the resolution, insisted the IWC must respect the vote and reject Japan’s attempts to resume the hunt.  Its commissioner is Gerard Van Bohemen.

“There is no issue of discretion⁸ here, the Commission has made a clear recommendation and instruction to the scientific committee, and as a subsidiary body, of course, it must comply," said Van Bohemen.

A bid by Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic failed to get enough votes.

Activists⁹ have frequently clashed with Japanese whaling vessels¹⁰ in the Southern Ocean.

In Japan, few people actually eat whale meat, but supporters say whaling is part of ancient Japanese culture.  In a restaurant in central Tokyo, chef Shunpei Meguro is carefully slicing a side of whale meat.

“It would be sad to lose such an ingredient,” he said, “especially considering it has been Japan's traditional food.”

A smaller whale hunt in the Pacific Ocean began earlier this month.  Japan, Iceland and Norway are the only countries that hunt whales. 

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

3 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

4 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？

5 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

8 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

9 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》

10 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》