2006年VOA标准英语-Chechnya's Pro-Moscow Prime Minister Quits

By Lisa McAdams
Moscow
28 February 2006

The Kremlin's hand-picked prime minister of Chechnya has submitted his resignation, clearing the way for a possible replacement¹ by acting² prime minister, and local strongman, Ramzan Kadyrov.

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Sergei Abramov
(2005 file photo)   
  

Chechnya's Moscow-backed president, Alu Alkhanov, says health problems stemming from a November car crash prevent Sergei Abramov from returning to the prime minister post.

Mr. Alkhanov declined to say who might succeed Mr. Abramov, who served two years, but speculation³ has quickly centered on acting Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov.

The surviving son of Chechnya's former pro-Moscow ruler, Mr. Kadyrov controls a vast network of irregular troops and security forces, whom rights activists⁴ allege⁵ indiscriminately use murder, kidnapping, and torture to silence their opponents.

Ramzan Kadyrov   
  
Mr. Kadyrov denies the charges. But wrapping up a visit to Chechnya, Ingushetia, and North Ossetia late last week, the U.N. High Commissioner⁶ for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, told reporters residents of the Caucasus mountains regions of southern Russia are still subjected to, what she calls, a climate of fear.

"I left the Chechen Republic with the distinct impression that despite ongoing⁷ political and physical reconstruction⁸, the republic has still not been able to move from a society ruled by force to one governed by the rule of law," she said.

Arbour declined, when pressed, to single out Kadyrov forces for blame. But she says weak law enforcement does play a role, in her view, in fostering continued instability in the region.

"Two phenomena⁹, in my view, are particularly disturbing: One is the prevalence of the use of torture to extract confessions¹⁰ and information and the second one is the intimidation¹¹ of those who make complaints against public officials," Arbour said. "In my opinion, there is no doubt that these phenomena are more than allegations, but have in fact considerable basis in reality."
 
 
Vladimir Putin
  
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the decade-old conflict in Chechnya, pitting Russian federal forces against Chechen separatists, is largely contained. But Russian news reports still cite near daily deaths from low-level, guerrilla-style violence.

Meanwhile, participants at a seminar on Chechnya urged Europe not to be fooled by Russian claims that Moscow is fighting a war against terror in Chechnya.

The seminar was held in Vilnius, Lithuania to mark the 62nd anniversary of what Chechens call Deportation¹² Day. It remembers February 23, 1944, when almost half a million Chechens and Ingush were forcibly moved to Central Asia on the orders of Josef Stalin.

1 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

4 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》

5 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

9 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

10 confessions   

n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔

参考例句：

• It is strictly forbidden to obtain confessions and to give them credence. 严禁逼供信。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions. 既不诱供也不逼供。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

12 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。