VOA标准英语2012--Syria Conflict Stokes Calls for Global Arms Treaty

 

Syria Conflict Stokes Calls for Global Arms Treaty

Last February in Homs, Syria, photojournalist Paul Conroy witnessed his colleague, Sunday Times writer Marie Colvin, killed in a rocket attack. Conroy has now joined activists¹ with the Control Arms Coalition² who are demanding a new treaty to control the global arms trade. He says he was shocked by the weaponry the Syrian army had at its disposal.

"They had a continual, unlimited³ supply of weapons," Conroy noted⁴. "So when we looked into it, I confronted the Russian representative who openly admitted, 'Yes, we're selling weapons to Syria.' I asked him would they stop and he said 'no.' There was literally⁵ nothing anybody could do. They couldn't pick up a piece of paper and wave an international treaty at them. They just said if we don't sell them someone else will."

Conroy and other activists recently rented a tank to try to raise awareness⁶ of the lack of an arms control treaty. Campaigners plan to take the tank on a tour of London, past embassies of countries which they say are major players in the global arms industry. That includes India where they handed in petitions to the embassy staff. The campaigners claim there are more export controls on food than there are on weapons. To hammer the point home, passers-by in London were given bananas.

There were similar stunts⁷ in New York where the United Nations Diplomatic Conference begins on July 2. Suzanne Nossel is executive director of Amnesty International USA.

"This would be the first treaty that regulates a trade in arms that results in the deaths of 1500 people every day, half a million people every year in conflicts around the world," said Nossel.

Howard Wheeldon is director of policy at ADS Group, which represents the British defense⁸ industry. He says Britain, the U.S. and other Western arms exporters have already agreed to stringent⁹ controls.

"What we need is a treaty that encompasses¹⁰ all the world, all countries, to ensure that no country will sell arms to another that really don't fit into the categories that we've laid down," said Wheeldon.

"Do I think it will succeed? Well I suspect probably not but we'll give it every effort."

Campaigners say the conflicts across the Arab world highlight the urgent need for controls on selling arms. 

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

7 stunts   

n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
• The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

10 encompasses   

v.围绕( encompass的第三人称单数 )；包围；包含；包括

参考例句：

• The job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. 这项工作涉及的职责范围很广。
• Its conservation law encompasses both its magnitude and its direction. 它的守恒定律包括大小和方向两方面。 来自辞典例句