2006年VOA标准英语-Turkish Cypriot Leader: EU Key to Cyprus S

By Amberin Zaman
Nicosia
27 January 2006

Turkish Cypriot community leader Mehmet Ali Talat says the European Union can and must play a major role in pushing for a settlement to re-unite the Greek and Turkish-controlled sides of Cyprus.  Talat spoke¹ with VOA shortly before Turkey unveiled its new plan to help end over three decades of division on the island.

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Throughout the Turkish-controlled north of Cyprus there is a sense of despair about the future. Ever since Turkish Cypriots voted overwhelmingly yes and Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly no to the latest United Nations plan to re-unite the island hopes for a settlement seem more elusive² than ever.

The Greek Cypriots were permitted to join the European Union in May 2004, a month after they rejected the U.N. plan, leaving the Turkish Cypriots in continued economic and political isolation³.

Mehmet Ali Talat  
  
Mehmet Ali Talat is the president of the self-styled republic of northern Cyprus that is only recognized by Turkey.  Talat is regarded by the rest of the world as the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. Talat says the European Union is in a key position to encourage the Greek Cypriots to make peace with the Turkish Cypriots.

"The European Union can do a lot of things. First, Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot side is member of the European Union," he said.  "Hence, a member of the European Union can be put under pressure by the European Union because of its wrong activities against the Turkish Cypriot community."

Talat says that while the United States has been doing its best to end the isolation of his people, the European Union has done little to push for a solution. It has also failed to fulfill⁴ promises to ease trade restrictions⁵ on the Turkish Cypriots and to provide them with financial aid.

"Actually the United States is the leading country in the line of helping⁶ of the Turkish Cypriot side improve its economy to get rid of isolation and have better image in the international community," he added.

Turkey on Tuesday said it would open its ports and airspace to Greek Cypriot carriers if they were to end restrictions on the Turkish Cypriots.  The proposal was welcomed by EU member states and in Washington as well.  The United Nations said it was studying the offer.  However, Greek President Tasos Papadopoulos rejected it outright⁷.  He said it was a ploy⁸ by Turkey calculated to delay recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration, which is regarded by the international community as the sole legitimate⁹ representative of the island.

The European Union opened membership talks with Ankara last year, and EU officials warn that the continuing deadlock¹⁰ over Cyprus may derail Turkey's membership negotiations¹¹ with the EU Analysts¹² warn that this in turn may re-ignite tensions between Turkey and Greece and add to instability on the periphery¹³ of the Middle East.

Cyprus has remained divided since 1974. That is when Turkish troops invaded the northern third of the island after an abortive¹⁴ coup¹⁵ by Greek Cypriot nationalists favoring union with Greece.

Turkey's top western allies, the United States and Britain, are the most active supporters of the country's accession to the European bloc¹⁶, saying a stable and democratic Turkey is in Western interests. They have been urging the Greek Cypriots to resume U.N.-sponsored peace talks.  British Foreign Secretary Jack¹⁷ Straw, on a visit to the island Wednesday, said failure to reach a settlement is bad for Cyprus, bad for the Eastern Mediterranean¹⁸ and bad for the EU.

1 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。

2 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

8 ploy   

n.花招，手段

参考例句：

• I think this is just a government ploy to deceive the public.我认为这只是政府欺骗公众的手段。
• Christmas should be a time of excitement and wonder,not a cynical marketing ploy.圣诞节应该是兴奋和美妙的时刻，而不该是一种肆无忌惮的营销策略。

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

11 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。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 periphery   

n.(圆体的)外面；周围

参考例句：

• Geographically, the UK is on the periphery of Europe.从地理位置上讲，英国处于欧洲边缘。
• The periphery of the retina is very sensitive to motion.视网膜的外围对运动非常敏感。

14 abortive   

adj.不成功的，发育不全的

参考例句：

• We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功，不得不放弃。
• Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。

15 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

16 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

17 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

18 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。