VOA常速英语2008年-UN Security Council Condemns Rebel Attacks in C

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
04 February 2008

The United Nations Security Council has issued a statement expressing its grave concern over rebel groups' efforts to overthrow¹ the government of Chad. VOA's Margaret Besheer reports from U.N. headquarters in New York that the statement leaves the door open for member states to send military assistance to Chadian President Idriss Deby.

Panamanian Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias², the Council's president this month, read the statement condemning³ the rebel attacks on the government and demanding an immediate⁴ end to the violence.

"The Security Council calls upon Member States to provide support in conformity⁵ with the U.N. Charter as requested by the government of Chad," said Arias.

According to news reports, thousands of people fled Chad's capital as government forces and rebels clashed for a third day on Monday. Gunfire and shelling were heard throughout the city.

Chad's U.N. representative sent a letter to the Security Council on Sunday requesting member states to provide aid and assistance in ending the rebellion.

France's U.N. Ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said the statement calls on member states to provide assistance to the "legal government" of President Deby, but would not say whether France - the former colonial power in Chad -- would provide military help.

"I guess there will be some request from the government of Chad addressed to some member states or to all member states of the U.N. and we will see," said Ripert. "What is important is that the Security Council allows the member states to do so and to answer the request for help and assistance of Chad."

France has some 1,500 troops in Chad, but Ambassador Ripert says they are not involved in any military activity.

Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to the fighting. In a statement, a spokesman said Mr. Ban is "profoundly alarmed by the dangerous situation in Chad," particularly in the capital. He expressed concern at the deterioration⁶ of the humanitarian⁷ situation and the displacement⁸ of several hundred thousand people.

1 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

2 arias   

n.咏叹调( aria的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Can you pick out the operatic arias quoted in this orchestral passage? 你能听出这段管弦乐曲里有歌剧式的咏叹调吗？ 来自辞典例句
• The actions are large and colour, there are arias and recitatives. 动作夸张而华美，有唱段也有宣叙部。 来自辞典例句

3 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》

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 conformity   

n.一致，遵从，顺从

参考例句：

• Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法？
• The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。

6 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。