VOA标准英语2009-Madagascar Reacts Coolly to Call for Talks O

Madagascar's transitional authority has given a cool response to a call by Southern African leaders to speed up negotiations¹ aimed at ending its three month-old political crisis.

Political stalemate

Madagascar's political stalemate appeared no closer to ending one day after the leaders of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, called on its feuding² politicians to resolve their dispute through dialogue.

In a communiqué, the leaders expressed concern over what was termed the deteriorating³ political situation in the country.

Political and economic activity have been disrupted since March when military officers forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to resign and gave power to a transitional authority headed by the former mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina.
　
King Mswati III of Swaziland addresses the media at the end of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) special summit held in Johannesburg, 21 June 2009

The head of SADC's security group, Swaziland's King Mswati III, said SADC wants the various parties to meet outside Madagascar as soon as possible.

"We, all of us, want to see Madagascar going back to restore its constitution," Mswati said. "The decision which was taken in Swaziland, we have not moved away from it, but we are using other strategies to move faster."

Recognizing the transitional authority

SADC refused to recognize the transitional authority and in March suspended Madagascar from the group at a special summit in Swaziland. The African Union and the regional customs union, COMESA, have done the same.

Talks mediated⁴ by the African groups, the United Nations and the association of French-speaking nations collapsed⁵ last week after Mr. Rajoelina's group resisted a call to allow Mr. Ravalomanana to return home.

A Malgasy court has sentenced Mr. Ravalomanana to four years in prison on corruption⁶ charges and has issued a warrant for his arrest if he returns.

The chairman of SADC, South African President Jacob Zuma, said SADC had appointed Mozambique's former president, Joaquim Chissano, to head a team of mediators.
　
South Africa President Jacob Zuma

"What SADC has decided⁸ to do is to try to pull together all the activities that are taking place under the leadership of the mediator⁷ with his team, President Chissano. So, yes, we have made contact. We have been talking to people there. This in other words, is a higher step than what we have been doing in the past," Zuma said.

Daily life in Madagascar has been disrupted by numerous public demonstrations⁹. And the crisis has devastated¹⁰ its $400 million-a-year tourism industry.

In addition, some international donors¹¹, including the United States, have suspended non-humanitarian aid until the island nation returns to a constitutional government.

　

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 feuding   

vi.长期不和（feud的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭，全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
• The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网

3 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

4 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

5 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

11 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》