VOA标准英语2008年-Georgian Leadership Faces Pressing Economic and

The military conflict between Russia and Georgia over two breakaway regions has subsided¹, but tensions remain between Moscow and Tbili. In this report from Washington, Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera looks at the latest developments and issues facing the Georgian leadership in the months ahead.
　
Russian soldiers near Khurvaleti, 60 km northwest of Tbilisi (File)

Analysts² agree the recent conflict between Georgia and Russia was sparked by Tbilisi when it sent troops August 7 in an effort to take control of Tskhinvali, the capital of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia, which had soldiers stationed in the region, responded massively by sending additional troops, tanks, and armored personnel carriers into Georgia.

South Ossetia, along with another region, Abkhazia, declared independence from Georgia in the mid³ 1990s. Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili has vowed⁴ to bring both regions back into the fold.

Experts say the Georgian army was no match for Russian forces. It was quickly defeated, and on August 12 both sides agreed to a French-mediated ceasefire. Russian officials say their remaining troops will pull out of the Russian-declared security zones outside the two breakaway regions by mid October. But Russian troops will remain in the two enclaves.

On the political side, Moscow has recognized the independence of the two regions and has taken steps to establish full diplomatic relations with them.
　
Georgian Tariel Basishvili, who claims to be the last Georgian in South Ossetia, walks past Russian troops on an armored personnel carrier and destroyed buildings in Kurta, 05 Sep 2008

Many experts, including Robert Legvold from Columbia University, say Georgian leaders face a daunting⁵ task in the months ahead.

"For Georgia in general, it is clear that the principal task now is to pick up the pieces, try to make sure that this does not lead to a major economic deterioration⁶ within the country, that investors⁷ are not spooked and leave, and the economic success that Georgia has known since 2004 is not reversed," said Legvold. "For the leadership itself, I think the concern is that those things be done, the country be rebuilt. I think they have to be very careful about how they rebuild their military, but certainly rebuild their infrastructure⁸ and restore the economy.

Legvold sees another major problem for the current Georgian leadership.

"It is likely, however angry and anti-Russian the Georgian population is today, that they will step back and say: 'Who got us into this? Who caused all of this? Why did the Saakashvili leadership lead us into this?' Saakashvili has to worry about the impact it will have on the viability⁹ of his own leadership," added Legvold.

Opposition¹⁰ political leaders in Georgia are already debating the wisdom of the conflict with Russia.

Georgian Republican Party leader David Usupashvili was quoted as saying the time has come to ask questions and to find the truth. And the leader of the New Rights Party, David Gamkrelidze, said Mr. Saakashvili's very aggressive policies helped Russia.

Many politicians and ordinary citizens are calling for a parliamentary inquiry¹¹ to investigate what prompted the Russia-Georgian war.

University of Chicago Professor Ronald Suny says the Georgian leadership has a lot of soul-searching to do.

"Georgia has not been fortunate in its leaders. When you think back to [Zviad] Gamsakhurdia [President 1991-92] and now Saakashvili taking these kinds of rash actions, or the declining powers even of [Eduard] Shevardnadze [President 1995-2003] - this little country, such a wonderful country, has been burdened with, at this point, a very impulsive¹² leader who launched this crisis despite his own disclaimers and despite some of the misrepresentations in the western press," said Suny. "This was a crisis that Georgia actually launched and they are paying a terrible price: refugees, people killed, millions of dollars of damage, a weakened state. And they are still playing, at least the government in its rhetoric¹³ in Georgia, a rather aggressive game at the rhetorical level. There is not much it can do. It is now completely reliant on the United States and the West to pull its chestnuts¹⁴ out of the fire."

The United States has already offered $1 billion in humanitarian¹⁵ and economic assistance to Tbilisi to help rebuild Georgia. The new aid package still needs to be approved by Congress. The European Union has also said it will provide aid.

 

1 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

4 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

5 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

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 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

10 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。

11 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

12 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

13 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

14 chestnuts   

n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马

参考例句：

• A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子，正苦无话可说的年青人，得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

15 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。