2006年VOA标准英语-Lebanon: a New Role for International Peacekeep

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
07 August 2006
 
watch Peacekeeping report

Lebanon has been pounded by outbreaks of violence and war throughout its recent history.  In 1978, following years of tension along the country's border with Israel, the United Nations Security Council authorized¹ the creation of a multinational² force to help bring peace and security to the region.  Now, the need for effective international peacekeeping is once again being discussed by diplomats³.

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Israeli bombs light up the night in Beirut.  The damage and human suffering becomes visible by day.  

 
Hassan Nasrallah  
  
In Israel, Hezbollah rockets slam ever deeper into the country, destroying structures and exacting⁴ their deadly toll⁵ on civilians⁶. 

The exchange of firepower is accompanied by a war of words.  Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah threatens to hit Tel Aviv if Israel does not cease its attacks on central Beirut.  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vows⁷ to continue pounding Hezbollah until an international force is in place.

Ehud Olmert  
  
All the while, diplomats seek a resolution to the conflict -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan offers his ideas during an unrelated trip to Haiti, the majority leader of the Lebanese parliament confers with Russian officials in Moscow, and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, meets with his French counterpart in New York. 

France has insisted a cease-fire in Lebanon should precede deployment⁸ of an international force.  The United States wants peacekeeping troops in place first, though Ambassador Bolton says American troops will not be part of that force. "That's never been in contemplation (U.S. contribution of troops), it's never, that's never been in our planning," said the ambassador.

General John Abizaid   
  
In 1978, the United Nations created an interim⁹ force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.  The current head of the U.S. Central Military Command, General John Abizaid, served with UNIFIL in the 1980s.  He told a Senate hearing Thursday that the U.N. force was not capable of fulfilling its mission to restore peace and security in Lebanon.  General Abizaid said an outside force today will need what he referred to as "robust¹⁰ rules of engagement."

"Robust rules of engagement means that the commander has the ability to effect the mandate¹¹ that's been given to him by the international community to include the use of all available means at his force's disposal,” said General Abizaid. “And I think, in the case of southern Lebanon, it'll have to have capabilities¹² that are just not minor¹³, small arms, but would include all arms."

General Abizaid said it is important for the armed forces of Lebanon to have a greater military capacity than Hezbollah, which has controlled the southern part of the country.  The general said an international force could help the Lebanese military extend the nation's sovereignty to the south.  He noted¹⁴, however, that the extent of international involvement will depend on the decisions of diplomats.

1 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

2 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

3 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》

4 exacting   

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

• He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
• The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

5 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

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。

7 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

8 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

9 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

10 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

11 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

12 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。