VOA标准英语2014--奥巴马要求支持武器禁运

 

Obama Asked to Support Arms Embargo¹ 奥巴马要求支持武器禁运

Nearly 30 South Sudanese and international organizations are calling on President Obama to support a U.N. arms embargo on South Sudan. The human rights and humanitarian² groups say the flow of weapons has brought increasing attacks on civilians³.

The Obama administration has been reluctant to support an arms embargo on South Sudan. It’s reportedly concerned the weapons ban would disproportionately hurt the government. Some European countries and Australia favor such an embargo.

The U.S. does support targeted sanctions and travel bans on individuals. In November, the administration said it would circulate a draft resolution on sanctions, but that has not materialized yet.

The groups calling for the arms embargo have sent a letter to Mr. Obama that said, “The conflict that erupted in Juba thirteen months ago has been characterized by a complete disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law.”

It went on to say that “South Sudan’s capital Juba as well as Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity⁴ states have seen gruesome attacks on civilians and massive destruction and pillage⁵ that amount to war crimes -- and in some cases acts that should be investigated as crimes against humanity.”

In Nairobi, Nyagoah Tut spoke⁶ on behalf of Amnesty International.

‘It is one year since the conflict started and the recent actions by the parties to the conflict do not suggest that the conflict is about to end anytime soon.’

The rights and humanitarian groups said, “Serious human rights abuses by government and opposition⁷ forces - as well as other armed actors allied⁸ to them - have also pushed much of the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.”

They said that nearly two-million people have been displaced and are vulnerable to possible famine.

“The conflict in South Sudan has been characterized by the use of small and light weapons. Most of them have been acquired because people are obviously in the army and others were able to get them when they were defecting from the army. They were also able to capture them. But there are countries that are supplying South Sudan with ammunition⁹ and the longer this is allowed to happen then the longer the conflict becomes protracted,” said Tut.

Edmund Yakani is executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization or CEPO. From Juba, he said, “The warring parties are not much interested in merely reaching a solution, peaceful solution. The warring parties are much more interested in sorting out their political differences with a military approach.”

South Sudan peace talks are being brokered¹⁰ by IGAD, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. IGAD heads of state will meet in Addis Ababa on January 18th to assess what, if any, progress is being made.

Yakani said as the summit approaches warring parties are trying to better their military positions.

"The military frontline is opening up. The last three days there’s a military confrontation¹¹ between South Sudan’s army and the rebels. And unfortunately, all the international community [is] quiet. We have not seen a very strong condemnation¹² on that,” he said.

The letter to President Obama also warned that “ethnic killings¹³ will continue and could drastically intensify¹⁴.” In addition, it said, “An arms embargo would help to halt the supply of weapons to individuals and groups who have committed serious violations¹⁵ of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Geoffrey Duke of The South Sudan Network on Small Arms said that “more weapons will mean more fuel to the fire.”

NGOs have called for an arms embargo for South Sudan since early last year. 

The government said South Sudan is a sovereign nation and has the right to buy arms. It said the rebels are obstructing¹⁶ peace and calls the NGO letter an “unfortunate document written by the enemies of South Sudan.” The rebels, however, said they would welcome an arms embargo.

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 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。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 pillage   

v.抢劫；掠夺；n.抢劫，掠夺；掠夺物

参考例句：

• The invading troops were guilty of rape and pillage.侵略军犯了抢劫和强奸的罪。
• It was almost pillage.这简直是一场洗劫。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 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。

8 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

9 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

10 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

11 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。

12 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

13 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

14 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

15 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

16 obstructing   

阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• You can't park here, you're obstructing my driveway. 你不能在这里停车，你挡住了我家的车道。
• He was charged for obstructing the highway. 他因阻碍交通而受控告。