VOA标准英语2008年-US Outraged Over Zimbabwe Diplomatic Incident

By David Gollust
State Department
05 June 2008

The United States is expressing outrage¹ over an incident Thursday in which Zimbabwean security forces detained U.S. and British diplomats² trying to visit victims of political violence. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation grave and says the United States will raise the matter in the U.N. Security Council. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

U.S. officials are calling the latest incident outrageous³ and unacceptable, but they say American diplomats will remain in Zimbabwe despite the harassment⁴ to support citizens of that country struggling for democracy.

In what was described here as a premeditated act, about 40 Zimbabwean police, intelligence agents and others stopped a convoy⁵ of U.S. and British diplomats north of the capital, threatening the officials, beating one of their local drivers, and slashing⁶ vehicle tires.

Five American diplomats and two local staff members were detained. Though they were later released, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the incident - the second of its kind in as many months - will not be forgotten.

He said the United States protested to officials in Harare, will seek out and raise the issue with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's delegation⁷ at the world food conference in Rome, and will take it up in the U.N. Security Council.

At a joint⁸ press event with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Secretary of State Rice called the situation in Zimbabwe ahead of a crucial presidential runoff election quite difficult and grave. But she said this is not the time to withdraw the U.S. diplomatic presence in Harare.
　

Condoleezza Rice, 05 Jun 2008

"We need our diplomats to be able to try and help the international community and the African states assure some modicum⁹ of civility in those elections, and some modicum of fairness in those elections," said Rice. "And so I think it's important that we maintain a presence there, and that we be able to do our work on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe, who I believe desperately¹⁰ want to have a free and fair election runoff."

Tensions have been mounting between the Mugabe government and foreign diplomats, especially those from Britain and the United States who have complained about government moves against the opposition¹¹ in advance of the June 27 election.

Mr. Mugabe is facing opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the run-off. The United States called Mr. Tsvangirai's brief detention¹² on Wednesday deeply disturbing.

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the kind of intimidation¹³ seen this week is suffered daily by Zimbabweans, especially those working with the opposition.

He said it underlines the need for the international community, and especially Zimbabwe's neighbors, to monitor the run-off vote:

"The argument today in Zimbabwe is not between Zimbabwe and Britain, it's about two different visions for the future of Zimbabwe," Miliband said. "And it's very important that the international community plays its role by assuring that for the election on June 27th, there are international monitors, properly accredited¹⁴ who are able to insure that despite the ravages¹⁵ in Zimbabwe at the moment, there is an election that allows the democratic will of the Zimbabwean people to be heard loud and to be heard clear."
　

Robert Mugabe attends a high-level conference on World Food Security

President Mugabe, who has run Zimbabwe since independence, has accused foreign powers and Britain in particular of interfering¹⁶ in his country's internal affairs, and conspiring¹⁷ with the opposition to restore colonial rule.

Both the United States and European Union have imposed travel and financial sanctions against Mr. Mugabe and his inner circle. The Zimbabwean leader was able to visit Rome this week, skirting the EU travel ban, because he is attending a U.N. function.

1 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

4 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

5 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

6 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 modicum   

n.少量，一小份

参考例句：

• If he had a modicum of sense,he wouldn't do such a foolish thing.要是他稍有一点理智，他决不会做出如此愚蠢的事来。
• There's not even a modicum of truth in her statement.她说的话没有一点是真的。

10 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

13 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

14 accredited   

adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于

参考例句：

• The discovery of distillation is usually accredited to the Arabs of the 11th century. 通常认为，蒸馏法是阿拉伯人在11世纪发明的。
• Only accredited journalists were allowed entry. 只有正式认可的记者才获准入内。

15 ravages   

劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹

参考例句：

• the ravages of war 战争造成的灾难
• It is hard for anyone to escape from the ravages of time. 任何人都很难逃避时间的摧残。

16 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

17 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。