VOA标准英语2008年-UN Chief Says Crises in Kenya, Pakistan Usher i

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
07 January 2008

In his first news conference of the year Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged that 2008 has not started off well. The U.N. chief says he is hopeful about the New Year, but expressed concern about fresh crises in Kenya and Pakistan. From U.N. headquarters in New York, Margaret Besheer has more.

Last year ended on a tragic¹ note for the United Nations, with 17 staffers killed in a suicide bombing in Algeria in mid-December. The secretary-general noted² that in all, 42 employees were killed in 2007, making it one of the deadliest years for U.N. personnel.

But despite these losses, Mr. Ban says the United Nations enters 2008 with new determination and new opportunities to strengthen its role in the world.

"I really hope this new year, 2008, will see bright hope," he said. "We have started with gloomy prospects³ - the situation in Kenya and elsewhere. I really hope that with active cooperation and dialogue among the leaders of the world we will see [a] better world this year. This is my firm commitment as secretary-general."

Regarding the post-election violence in Kenya, Mr. Ban says he has been in close contact with both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition⁴ leader Raila Odinga to urge them to settle their dispute over controversial election results through dialogue.

Another recent crisis concerning the secretary-general is the assassination⁵ two weeks ago of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who had returned to that country to run in upcoming elections.

The Pakistani government has requested technical assistance in investigating the assassination from Britain's Scotland Yard, but Mr. Ban says there has been no formal request from the government of Pakistan for a U.N. special tribunal.

The United Nations is, however, preparing a special tribunal to try suspects in the car bomb assassination nearly three years ago of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Mr. Ban would not confirm reports that the tribunal will begin in February, but he did express his "deep disappointment" about the continuing political crisis in Lebanon. That country has been without a president since November 23, as the two main political parties jockey for power.

"I once again call on Lebanese leaders to think about the future of their country, transcending⁶ sectarian and individual interests," he said. "And on the neighboring countries, I urge them to help the Lebanese people so that they will be able to overcome this crisis of their own will without outside interference."

Meanwhile, a new, joint⁷ United Nations-African Union force took over from a smaller AU mission last week in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan. The force is to eventually number 26,000, but currently there are only nine thousand peacekeepers in Darfur.

Secretary-General Ban says he hopes to see the full force deployed⁸ quickly, as he is concerned about the deteriorating⁹ situation. The Sudanese government has accused neighboring Chad of border violations¹⁰ and air strikes in Darfur. Chad has acknowledged conducting at least one recent air strike in Darfur, saying it targeted Chadian rebels, not civilians¹¹.

During his news conference, Mr. Ban said this year the United Nations would continue to address poverty and climate change, and mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

1 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

2 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。

3 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

6 transcending   

超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的现在分词 )； 优于或胜过…

参考例句：

• She felt herself transcending time and space. 她感到自己正在穿越时空。
• It'serves as a skeptical critic of the self-transcending element. 它对于超越自身因素起着一个怀疑论批评家的作用。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

11 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。