2006年VOA标准英语-Geneva Talks Will Determine Future Course

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
21 February 2006
 
The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels are meeting in Switzerland to hold their first direct discussions since the island's peace process ground to a halt nearly three years ago. The talks are seen as a last opportunity to prevent a return to a deadly ethnic¹ conflict.

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Sri Lanka's chief negotiator at Geneva peace talks Nimal Siripala De Silva, left, speaks on telephone as he waits for the president in Colombo on Friday, 17 February.   
  

The two-day talks starting Wednesday will not seek a long-term solution to Sri Lanka's war, and instead will focus on short-term issues that have led to a near breakdown² of a cease-fire signed in 2002.

A series of attacks that killed more than 120 rebels and soldiers in December and January triggered fears that the island country may plunge³ back into war. An international effort intervened to save the situation.

The violence erupted after the election of a hard-line president who says he will not consider the Tamil Tigers' core demand for an autonomous⁴ Tamil homeland. The rebels in turn threatened to resume a conflict that has claimed more than 60,000 lives over two decades.

Norwegian mediators who arranged these new talks have called them a "small but significant step toward putting the peace process back on track."

Analysts⁵ say the Geneva meeting is a last chance to bridge a widening gulf⁶ between the two sides, which have not met since 2003.

Jehan Perera, head of the independent National Peace Council in Colombo, says the talks will point to the direction the peace process will take. "If these talks succeed, if they come up with a decision to meet again for a second time," said Perera, "then we can think that the situation is going to progressively improve, whereas if the talks break down, then all that we have is to go back to the situation where there was an escalation⁷ of violence and threat of imminent⁸ war."

There are hopeful signs that both sides are serious about averting⁹ a return to conflict.

Analysts point out that despite his hard-line credentials¹⁰, President Mahinda Rajapakse has been more moderate than expected, agreeing to a rebel demand to meet in Europe instead of Asia. And the Tamil Tigers, branded a terrorist group by many countries, also want the world to see them as serious about seeking a negotiated settlement.

The talks will focus on implementing¹¹ the cease-fire. The Tamil Tigers want the government to disarm¹² a renegade rebel group, which they believe has military backing and is responsible for killing¹³ dozens of Tiger supporters. The government accuses the Tigers of leading recent attacks that have killed nearly 80 soldiers.

Perera says the success of the talks will hinge on how much both sides are willing to accommodate each other. "If there is the will, if there is a sincere desire to succeed, even though the two sides may be far apart in their position, then I think things can move forward, even if they do move forward a little slowly," said Perera. "The question in my mind is how willing, how able are they to compromise enough to satisfy the other and keep the process going forward."

For most Sri Lankans, the talks are seen as crucial not only to building trust and peace, but also to encouraging economic growth. The relative calm since the cease-fire has led to a rise in tourism and foreign investment in the country, which is still recovering from the 2004 tsunami¹⁴. A resumption of fighting would mean lost jobs and lost investment.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

3 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

4 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

5 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。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

9 averting   

防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
• These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。

10 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

11 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

12 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

13 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

14 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。