VOA标准英语2009年-US Welcomes Easing of Pakistan Tensions

The United States on Monday welcomed the peaceful outcome of the week-long political crisis in Pakistan, saying it brought the country "back from the brink¹" of broader political upheaval². U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made calls to key Pakistani officials to try to defuse tensions.
　
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 16 Mar³ 2009

Clinton made unusual direct telephone appeals on Saturday to Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and opposition⁴ leader Nawaz Sharif to try to ease tensions.

But in a press appearance here, she said the resolution of the standoff - with the reinstatement of the country's deposed⁵ Supreme⁶ Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry - was a resolution by the Pakistanis themselves and a hopeful first step toward broader dialogue.
　
Pakistan's deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, center, is greeted by lawyers after the government announced to reinstate him at his residence in Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 Mar 2009

Clinton's telephone diplomacy⁷ capped several days of intensive U.S. efforts to help bring Pakistan, as one officials here put it, "back from the brink" of a broader crisis that some analysts⁸ say threatened the country's stability.

Speaking to reporters with Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin, Clinton said Pakistani leaders did not need her to tell them what was at stake in the political standoff, and that its resolution is a hopeful sign for the future.

"I believe that the resolution they have agreed upon is the first step of what has to be an ongoing⁹ reconciliation¹⁰ and compromising of political views that can stabilize¹¹ civilian¹² democracy and the rule of law, both of which are essential to the efforts that the Pakistanis themselves see as so critical - namely preventing extremism and violence from stalking the Pakistani peoples and the country," she said.

State Department Acting¹³ Spokesman Robert Wood said Clinton, in her calls to the Pakistani leadership on Saturday, urged a non-violent settlement of the confrontation¹⁴ with the opposition and said that there should be no impediments to peaceful, democratic assembly.

Wood did not say whether Clinton specially¹⁵ urged the reinstatement of Chief Justice Chaudhry. But he said the United States welcomes the decision by President Zardari as important for moving the process of reconciliation forward and upholding the rule of law.

Wood said British Foreign Secretary David Miliband joined Clinton in the weekend intervention¹⁶, reflecting the two Western allies' worry that the crisis would negatively affect efforts against extremists in the Pakistani-Afghan border region.

"Our concern, clearly, was that tensions were heating up and that they need to calm down, and that indeed these tensions were diverting the government of Pakistan away from its principle enemies - al-Qaida and the Taliban," he said. "The Secretary felt that she needed to make these phone calls. And we're very pleased to see the Pakistani leadership has taken some decisions that are moving the country at least back on a path towards reconciliation."

Clinton is expected to meet her Pakistani counterpart, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, at a Dutch hosted conference at the end of this month at the Hague aimed at promoting stability in Afghanistan.

1 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

2 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

3 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

4 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。

5 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

8 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。

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

11 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

12 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

13 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

14 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

15 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

16 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。