VOA标准英语10月-Russian Troops Withdraw from Georgia, But Is It E

The European Union has welcomed the withdrawal¹ of Russian troops from Georgian territory as was stipulated² by a cease-fire agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi, but views are mixed as to whether the Russians have fully³ complied with the conditions of that accord. VOA's Sonja Pace visited a Russian and Georgian checkpoint in Akhalgori Friday, on the boundary line between Georgia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia and here is her report from the scene.

Russian soldiers still man the Akhalgori checkpoint - a half dozen men are visible behind concrete barriers - the Russian flag flies above a hut by the side of the road.

They say they're not authorized⁴ to speak to reporters, but they say that so far they've received no orders to pull back further.

Just 400 meters back down the road, a dozen Georgian police have their own checkpoint. They watch the Russians closely. On this occasion, a European Union monitoring patrol has pulled up.
　

Russian peacekeeping forces gather supplies while dismantling5 Karaleti checkpoint, 08 Oct 2008

Patrol leader Fredrik Nylyn talked with the Georgian commander about the situation. "We'll go over and speak to the Russian side as usual and maybe we'll drive over the bridge to the Russian watch-post on the other side as well."

Nylyn is part of a European contingent⁶ sent to monitor the situation after an EU-backed cease-fire agreement halted clashes between Russian and Georgian forces in August.

He said, "The Georgians [are] on one side with their checkpoint and we have a Russian checkpoint just 400 meters north of the place where we are standing⁷ right now."

At the heart of the conflict are the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The war in August was sparked when Georgian forces launched an attack against South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali to try to rein⁸ in Russian-backed separatists and regain⁹ control of the area. Russian forces responded quickly, driving the Georgians back, moving deep into Georgia and creating buffer¹⁰ zones around the breakaway regions.

Under the cease-fire accord Moscow promised to withdraw by October 10th.

In Brussels, the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said monitors confirmed the Russian withdrawal and he welcomed the pull-out.
　

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, center, during a visit to the town of Tkviavi in Georgia, 10 Oct 2008

But during a visit Friday to the Georgian town of Gori, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was not so sure. He described the Russian withdrawal as a first step - it's not complete, he said.

Kouchner also visited damaged homes in the buffer zone near South Ossetia including a police station that had been taken over by Russian and South Ossetian militias¹².

He said, "The Russians themselves or the militia¹¹ [were here], and they destroyed everything."

Georgia said Russia has not complied with the cease-fire accord because it still maintains forces inside South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia said it has complied because its forces pulled out of the buffer zones.

These differing views are no surprise, said EU patrol leader Fredrik Nylyn. "It's one thing to draw a line on a map but it's another being out in the environment and trying to establish where is that line now. So, there is room for different interpretations¹³ there - for both sides actually," he said.

Russia, which unilaterally recognized the independence of both breakaway republics says it will maintain troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia to guard against future Georgian attacks.

1 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

2 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

5 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

6 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

9 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

10 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

11 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

12 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

13 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》