VOA慢速英语2016 联合国选举新一任秘书长

AS IT IS 2016-04-21 UN Seeks New Secretary-General 联合国选举新一任秘书长

The Secretary-General of the U.N. has always been chosen in private meetings. But for the first time in its 70-year history, part of the selection process is taking place in public.

联合国大会一直以来都是以秘密会议的方式提名联合国秘书长。70年以来，这是首次公开提名选择候选人。

At least eight countries have nominated candidates for the position.

至少有8个国家提名了联合国秘书长候选人。

Several candidates are women, including Irina Bukova of Bulgaria, Susana Malcorra of Argentina and Helen Clark from New Zealand.

其中一些候选人是女性，包括保加利亚的伊琳娜·博科娃、阿根廷的苏珊娜·马尔科拉以及新西兰的海伦·克拉克。

All member states were permitted to ask the candidates questions during two hour-long meetings last week in the U.N. General Assembly. The candidates were also asked some of the 1,000 questions written by people on social media.

所有的成员国都可以在上周召开的长达2小时的联合国大会上向候选人提问。人们在社会媒体上面写的1,000个问题，候选人在会议上也做了回答。

They were asked questions about development, how they would improve efforts to create peace and how they would protect human rights.

他们被问及的问题主要是关于发展，以及他们将如何付出努力创造和平的环境、保护人权等。

The U.N. Security Council will examine the candidates’ backgrounds. Then the 15 members will mark ballots¹ secretly until one person is chosen.

联合国安理会还会对候选人的背景进行考察。然后对15名候选人进行秘密投票，选择一名候选人。

The General Assembly will then vote on whether to accept the choice.

联合国大会将会对这一选择结果进行表决。

Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States are the five permanent members of the Security Council. Experts say they are likely to have more influence on who will be the new secretary-general than the 10 non-permanent nations on the council.

联合国安理会5个常任理事国包括英国、中国、法国、俄罗斯以及美国。专家称，五个常任理事国，在新秘书长的选择方面，可能比其他10个非常任理事国更加具有影响力。

The Security Council will begin to discuss who will be named the next secretary-general in July. A new secretary-general may not be confirmed until as late as November.

联合国安理会将在7月开始讨论下一届秘书长的任命。最晚到今年11月，新一届秘书长可能才会确定下来。

The U.N. has a tradition of choosing its new leader from a part of the world different from its current leader.

联合国的一个传统就是，选择的新一届领导要与现任领导来自世界不同地区。

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is from Asia. The previous U.N. chief was Kofi Annan, who was from Africa.

联合国秘书长潘基文来自亚洲。前任秘书长科菲·安南来自非洲。

Dan Thomas is a spokesman for the president of the General Assembly. He says there is no rule that says where a new secretary-general must come from. But most observers say the new U.N. chief will not be from Asia or Africa.

丹·托马斯是联合国大会主席发言人。他说，规定中并未明确指出新一届秘书长来自哪一地区。但是大多数观察员称，新一届联合国秘书长将不会来自亚洲或者非洲。

Ban took office in January, 2007. His first term ended in December, 2011. He was elected to a second, five-year term, which ends at the end of this year.

潘基文于2007年1月就职。他的第一期任职于2011年12月结束。之后又选举他连任5年，今年年底结束。

U.N. chiefs can be reelected for an unlimited² number of terms. But no one has ever served more than two terms. Annan served for two terms. Before him, Boutros-Boutros Ghali served for just one term because the United States vetoed a second term.

联合国秘书长可以被重复选举，任期并无硬性规定。但是至今没人连任2期以上。安南任职两期。他的前一任布特罗-布特罗·加利，仅任职一期，因为当时联合国否决让他连任第二期。

Eastern European countries want the new U.N. chief to be from their part of the world. Six countries from the region have nominated candidates: Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Slovenia, and seven of the nine candidates are from Eastern Europe. None of the U.N.’s eight leaders has been from Russia or Eastern Europe.

要求下一任秘书长来自东欧的呼声很大。东欧的6个国家都提名了候选人：保加利亚、克罗地亚、马其顿、摩尔多瓦、黑山和斯洛文尼亚，9名候选人中的7名来自东欧。联合国的8任秘书长没有一位是来自俄罗斯或者东欧的。

A group of 56 countries says the next U.N. chief should be a woman. There have been eight U.N. chiefs. None of them was a woman.

56个成员国称，下一届联合国秘书长应是女性。已经有8任联合国秘书长了。没有一位是女性。

The U.N. says the secretary-general is “equal parts diplomat³ and advocate, civil servant and CEO.”

联合国称，秘书长的角色相当于"外交家、倡导者、公务员以及首席执行官"。

Some experts say it is not clear if the organization needs a good manager or a strong leader. Some diplomats⁴ say a strong leader is needed because of the unrest in many parts of the world. This includes the largest displacement⁵ of civilians⁶ since World War II, the growing threat of global terrorism and the effects of climate change.

一些专家认为，联合国组织是否需要一位更好的管理者或者强有力的领导者，这一点尚不明确。一些外交家表示，因为世界许多地区都有动荡不安的情况，所以还是需要有一位强有力的领导者。世界恐怖主义的威胁以及气候变化的影响，导致了二战以来出现了最大规模的人口迁徙。

Words in This Story

background – n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person’s past

region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

advocate – n. a person who argues for or supports a cause or policy

1 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

6 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。