2006年VOA标准英语-UN Leader Warns of Biological Weapons Threat

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
20 November 2006

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging nations to do more to combat biological weapons, and to create global safeguards to keep them out of terrorist hands.  

Kofi Annan at a review conference on Biological Weapons Convention in Geneva

Mr. Annan urged delegates at a review conference on the Biological Weapons Convention to put aside differences that severely¹ hampered² efforts at the last review conference five years ago, and to work to strengthen safeguards against bio-terrorism.

"I encourage you to explore them, and not to return to the confrontational³ approaches of the past," said Kofi Annan. "Far more unites you than divides you. The horror of biological weapons is shared by all. As the convention states, their use would be 'repugnant to the conscience of mankind.'"

Annan said that, in the past five years, global circumstances have changed, and risks have grown. He said there is a strong focus on preventing terrorism today, as well as renewed concern about naturally occurring diseases, such as SARS or avian flu, being used as a terrorist weapon.

"These changes mean that we can no longer view the convention in isolation⁴, as simply a treaty prohibiting states from obtaining biological weapons," he said. "But, we must also address terrorism and crime at the non-state and individual levels, with responses encompassing⁵ public health, disaster relief and efforts to ensure that the peaceful uses of biological science and technology can safely reach their potential."

The convention bans the development and stockpiling of germ-based weapons. But it has never had serious enforcement measures, because the threat of biological warfare⁶ was believed to be minimal⁷ when it was drafted during the height of the Cold War.

Efforts to strengthen the treaty gained momentum⁸ amid concerns that Iraq might use biological weapons during the Gulf⁹ War. Talks were suspended in 2001, when the the United States said a proposed enforcement regime could not be verified.

The head of the U.S. delegation¹⁰, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation John Rood, said the measures the U.S. rejected five years ago would not have been effective in detecting biological weapons.

"We have not, in our analysis, seen a way to develop the sort of guaranteed verification measures you cited," said John Rood. "I think that is an area reasonable people can continue to study. But, at present, we do not see a regime that would be effective in that area."

Rood said the United States wants greater disease surveillance and better controls over material and technology, so they are not misused¹¹ for bio-weapons. He said national enforcement of legislation is important, and there must be more oversight¹² on research to prevent this work from being misused to make bio-weapons.

1 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

2 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

3 confrontational   

adj.挑衅的；对抗的

参考例句：

• Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
• You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端，你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网

4 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

5 encompassing   

v.围绕( encompass的现在分词 )；包围；包含；包括

参考例句：

• Being too large and all-encompassing is a common defect among state-owned enterprises. 过分追求大而全，是国企的一大通病。 来自互联网
• Our services are: all-encompassing, love justice and high quality. 我们的服务目标是：全方位、真情义、高质量。 来自互联网

6 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

7 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

8 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

9 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

10 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

11 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。