VOA标准英语2009年-EU Officials to Discuss Taking in Guantanamo De

Senior European Union officials head to Washington on Monday for a two-day trip to gain more information about Guantanamo inmates¹ it may be asked to take in after the United States closes the detention² camp in Cuba.
　
Camp Delta³ Cell Block for uncooperative dedtainees

During their Washington visit, E.U. officials will seek to learn more about dozens of Guantanamo detainees they may be asked to take in as part of President Barack Obama's plans to close the detention center in a year.

Among other things, the European Union wants to know about security risks ex-inmates may pose, the reasons they were held, and why they cannot return to their home countries. If the ex-detainees are found to be innocent, Europe also wants to know why the United States cannot keep them on its territory.

Europe strongly lobbied for Washington to close the Guantanamo detention center. Now that Mr. Obama says he will, several European countries, including Portugal, France and Spain, have said they may be willing to take in ex-detainees. Last month, the European parliament voted overwhelmingly for the European Union to accept detainees.

At a recent press conference, E.U. lawmaker Sarah Ludford from Britain said now is the time for Europe to act.

"Europe needs to step up to the plate," Ludford said. "There are a lot of fancy pronouncements - one of which is to call for the closure in Guantanamo. Well, we have a saying in English that you need to put your money where your mouth is."

In February, an Ethiopian-born British resident, Binyam Mohamed, returned to Britain after being released from Guantanamo. Britain wants Washington to send back one other British-connected detainee.

But other European countries have expressed reservations about accepting detainees, with some politicians arguing Guantanamo is America's problem to fix. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named a special envoy⁴ to work with countries to accept Guantanamo detainees so the prison can be closed.

1 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。