2006年VOA标准英语-UN Urban Forum Examines Terrorism, City Governa

By Craig McCulloch
Vancouver
21 June 2006

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says terrorism is among the biggest challenges facing the world's cities. Policy makers¹, activists² and scientists are meeting in Canada for the United Nations sponsored World Urban Forum³.

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Over 8,000 people from over 150 countries have gathered in Vancouver for the five-day forum and trade show. The focus for the discussions and symposiums is to turn ideas into solutions for the world's growing population centers.

Stephen Harper   
  
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper opened the conference with reference to the recent arrests of 17 people, suspected of plotting terrorists attacks in eastern Canada. He says terrorism is the most serious threat to cites and casts an ominous⁴ shadow over urban centers throughout the world.

Mr. Harper says in open, diverse and democratic societies, like Canada, the ethnic⁵ communities that suspected terrorists call their own are the ones who will expose them.

"It is true that, somewhere in some community, we will find the apostles of terror people who use the symbols of culture or faith to justify⁶ crimes of violence," he said. "They hate open, diverse and democratic societies like ours because they want the exact opposite, a society that is closed, homogeneous and dogmatic. But they and their vision will be rejected. Rejected by men and women of generosity⁷ and goodwill⁸ in all communities. [Applause] It will be rejected most strongly by those men and women in the very community they claim to represent."

Security for this event is high, with all delegates searched and forced to go through metal detectors⁹.

Charles Kelly, the Canadian who is organizing the forum, says he hopes it will be more than just policy experts producing papers. He says more than 90,000 people a day migrate from rural areas into cities every day.

Kelly says the UN conference offers a chance for everybody from politicians to slum dwellers¹⁰ to discuss what works in different cities, and what does not. The problems of cities in Africa, he says, are vastly different from those of cities in Latin America or Europe.

One group that is getting attention at this event is Slumdwellers International. The group's president, Jockin Arputham, says one major problem for the world's homeless and poor is that much of the money collected in their name does not actually reach them.

"I have come here to explain myself. What our community thinks works. People are ready, normal, sitting and expecting somebody to deliver," he said. " We want to be practically partners in our development. I have come here to express that to the whole world. They should know people are normal - lying down, listening to what you are doing. What you are talking and how you are collecting money in the name of poor. And it doesn't go to the poor."

Arputham is critical of those who are attending only to further their academic knowledge of urban issues.

"Today, half the people coming here to the conference to think about how they can prepare for themselves for the next conference in China (in 2008)," he said. "What kind of paper they should write. What kind of a document they should do, what kind of homework they should do. How much information they have to collect. Not for improving the poor. But, improving themselves, their qualities, their educational qualification and their curriculum."

He says he hopes those attending the UN meeting will help turn the growing, often chaotic¹¹ urban centers into prosperous communities.

The third UN World Urban Forum ends Friday. It is expected to produce a report that, after further discussions, would be submitted to the U.N. General Assembly

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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》

3 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

4 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

7 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

8 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

9 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

10 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。