2006年VOA标准英语-Conference on 'Blood Diamonds' Opens in Botswan

By Franz Wild
Abidjan
06 November 2006

The effectiveness of a plan to filter out so-called blood diamonds is under review at a conference in Botswana. A recent report about diamonds being smuggled¹ out of Ivory Coast will top the agenda.

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Representatives from the 47 member countries of the Kimberley Process are meeting in Botswana's capital, Gaberone, for a three-day conference to discuss how well conflict diamonds are being kept out of the market.

The three-year-old Kimberley Process is a certification plan, set up to ensure that diamond proceeds do not fuel war.

Diamond giant De Beers has joined human-rights groups in calling for a crackdown on blood diamonds, after reports that many illegally enter the legitimate² market.

In the firing line is Ivory Coast. A recent U.N. Security Council report says rebels who control the north are contravening³ a year-old embargo⁴, which was imposed, because of fears that diamond money may be going towards purchasing weapons.

Vehicle passes through Ivory Coast diamond checkpoint  
  
Despite the ban, between $9 million and 23.5 million worth of rough diamonds are leaving Ivory Coast every year, the report says.

The U.N. Group of Experts researched the report. Its Chairman, Alex Vines, said the northern rebel New Forces are in control of the biggest mining site, the Bobi Dyke⁵ near the town of Seguela.

He said, "They have a military base right next door to it. So the Group of Experts was in no doubt that the military were organizing the activities at the Bobi Dyke. The New Forces certainly benefited from it."

The New Forces deny directly benefiting from any diamond trade.

The group of experts have now presented their findings to the Kimberley Process meeting.

Also implicated⁶ are Ghana, which is a member of the scheme, and Mali. They are apparently⁷ receiving the smuggled diamonds and trading them as clean products.

The U.N. experts say Ghana's diamond-production levels have continued to rise considerably⁸, even though few new reserves have been found.

Vines says Kimberley members may decide to punish Ghana for loose controls.

"One of the measures they could consider is suspension of Ghana from the Kimberley Process until their internal controls are better," he said.

The Republic of Congo was suspended for similar reasons in 2004. Ghana denies the allegations.

The diamond industry is especially worried as its peak pre-Christmas sales may be threatened by next month's Hollywood release called "Blood Diamond."

The industry fears the film could reduce consumers faith in the diamonds they want to buy, as they may be concerned about where the money they pay for it goes.

1 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

2 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

3 contravening   

v.取消，违反( contravene的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The company was found guilty of contravening safety regulations. 那家公司被判违反了安全条例。
• You are contravening the regulations. 你违反了规定。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 dyke   

n.堤，水坝，排水沟

参考例句：

• If one sheep leap over the dyke,all the rest will follow.一只羊跳过沟，其余的羊也跟着跳。
• One ant-hole may cause the collapse of a thousand-li dyke.千里长堤，溃于蚁穴。

6 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。