VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-03-19 China Urges Calm in Ukraine 中国要求乌克兰各方保持克制

 

AS IT IS 2014-03-19 China Urges Calm in Ukraine 中国要求乌克兰各方保持克制

Hello and welcome back.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington, with a program designed to help you learn and improve your American English.  At the same time, you can stay up to date on some important issues that are taking place around the world.  Today we look at the uneasy situation in Ukraine, and find out what a major world power has to say.

Then we hear about some influential² American lawmakers who are trying to connect the politics and economics of Venezuela with the situation in Cuba.

Good or bad, it’s our world, and we’ll bring it to you …As It Is.

First we turn to Ukraine.  The situation there seems to change from day to day.  This week, China repeated its call for calm in the area. This came after a disputed referendum in which a large majority of Crimean voters are said to have marked ballots³ in support of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia.

The issues of separatism and self-rule are very sensitive ones in China. Experts have been closely watching to see how China reacts to the referendum.  VOA’s Christopher Cruise has been watching the situation closely, and he joins us with some important information.

On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry⁴ said the international community should help ease tensions in the area.   Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China always respects each country’s territorial⁵ claims.

China’s official answer to the crisis in Ukraine has been very interesting for China watchers.  They say Russia has failed to honor two of China’s most important diplomatic values: non-interference in other countries’ affairs, and protection of territorial rights.  Observers note that Russia sent military forces to the area after Ukrainian lawmakers ousted⁶ the country’s president.  Later, the Russian government called for a referendum on Crimea’s future. 

China is an ally of Russia at the United Nations.  It could have voted against a Security Council resolution that called the referendum in Crimea illegal. But China decided⁷ not to vote at all.  The measure was not approved because Russia blocked it.  But some experts say the decision not to vote showed a Chinese lack of support for the Russian government.

But observers in China dismiss such talk.  Feng Shaolei is the director of the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University.

Feng Shaolei says the two countries agree on the causes of the crisis.  And, he says, they have learned more about each other’s position.  Mr. Feng says China has been careful in its reaction to the crisis because it understands the complexities⁸ in the Crimea.

The idea of a popular vote to decide a country’s territory is a very sensitive one in China.  Separatism is an extremist ideology⁹ among Chinese officials.  Such ideas could be considered a threat to the Chinese government’s rule in areas like Xinjiang or Tibet.  China does not permit any political movements that support separatism within its borders.  I’m Christopher Cruise.

New Problems for Venezuela and Cuba?

Half way around the world, we also find unrest in the South American country of Venezuela.  For the past month, thousands of people have protested what they say is a worsening quality of life. The Venezuelan government has reacted with violence.

Cuban American politicians in the United States, are among the loudest critics of the Venezuelan government.  The politicians have denounced Venezuela’s violent repressions¹⁰ of anti-government demonstrations¹¹.  Cuban American members of Congress have led efforts to punish the Venezuelan leadership.  And these lawmakers may also want to cause problems in Cuba. 

The three are Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida, and two Senators: Marco Rubio, also of Florida, and Robert Menendez of New Jersey¹².

The proposed sanctions include banning visas and barring Venezuelan leaders from using any money or property held in the United States.  The lawmakers say these measures will send a message condemning¹³ the use of force against anti-government protesters.

William LeoGrande is a specialist in Latin American politics at the American University in Washington, DC.  He says the goal of the sanctions is to break up Venezuela’s alliance with Cuba.  One way is to end the flow of low-priced Venezuelan oil to Cuba.

“If the current government of Venezuela were to be overthrown¹⁴, a conservative government would probably cut that assistance to Cuba and thereby¹⁵ destabilize the situation in Cuba.  That, I think, is what conservative Cuban-Americans are after.” 

There is public anger in Venezuela about food shortages, high inflation and the high crime rate.  This anger has fueled sometimes violent demonstrations in the country.  Venezuela’s leaders blame the United States for inciting¹⁶ and supporting such protests.  But U.S. officials have denied any such involvement.

In a video on the Youtube website, Senator Rubio blamed Cuba for helping¹⁷ to organize Venezuela’s use of force against protesters.

“He’s protesting against the government of Venezuela, which are puppets of Havana, completely infiltrated¹⁸ by Cubans and agents from Havana.  Not agents, openly, foreign military affairs officials.

Carl Meacham is the director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  He says this claim fails to truthfully describe the long alliance between Cuba and Venezuela.  The countries grew closer during the presidency¹⁹ of Hugo Chavez, who died last year.

“So I think that even though that relationship is clear and that partnership²⁰ is beneficial to both countries, I think the Venezuelans are in the driver’s seat of the developments we are seeing.”

Some members of the United States Congress want to take steps against Venezuela because of its ties to Cuba.  But observers say wider support for sanctions is the result of a desire to find a peaceful end to the conflict in Venezuela and to avoid possible unrest in the area.

Before we move on, here is just a bit of American history.  On this day in 1848, Wyatt Earp was born.  He became one of this country’s most famous lawmen.  He was also a very large part of the old west, and will be known forever for his quickness with a pistol at the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.

Today in San Juan Capistrano, California, folks will be squinting²¹ their eyes and craning their necks to look for the swallows, small beautiful birds, to return.  They come back every year, and some stories say they have done so, since 1776.

And way down yonder in New Orleans, Louisiana, a book festival is underway to honor American writer Tennessee Williams.  If you want to read a real classic, try to find “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Mr. Williams at your local library or book store.

 

That’s all for now, but more Learning English programs are on the way.  And there is world news at the beginning of the hour on VOA.  I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  See you tomorrow!

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

3 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

6 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 complexities   

复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物

参考例句：

• The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。
• The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

9 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

10 repressions   

n.压抑( repression的名词复数 )；约束；抑制；镇压

参考例句：

11 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

12 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

13 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

15 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

16 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

17 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。

18 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

20 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

21 squinting   

斜视( squint的现在分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看

参考例句：

• "More company," he said, squinting in the sun. "那边来人了，"他在阳光中眨巴着眼睛说。
• Squinting against the morning sun, Faulcon examined the boy carefully. 对着早晨的太阳斜起眼睛，富尔康仔细地打量着那个年轻人。