VOA常速英语2008年-Cyprus Peace Talks to Restart

By Nathan Morley
Nicosia
21 March 2008

Hopes are now high that the face-to- face meeting between the two community leaders in Cyprus has paved the way for peace on the divided Mediterranean¹ island.  The new president of the Republic of Cyprus Demitis Christofias was elected on a mandate² to resolve the long-standing division of the island.  Friday's meeting comes just weeks after he took office, and as Nathan Morley reports for VOA from Nicosia, early indications are that the encounter was a success.

Friday's talks are important because there has been virtually no contact between the leaders of the two communities for nearly four years.

With a new president in the south and a moderate leader in the north, commentators³ see the time as being ripe for a solution to Cyprus question.

In a highly symbolic⁴ move, the two men agreed to open a barrier in the center of Nicosia, which had cut through one of the cities leading shopping streets.  More importantly, Greek Cypriot President Demitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have agreed to meet again, raising hopes that peace talks may soon be back on track here in Cyprus.

After years of stagnation⁵, with little dialogue between the two sides, Friday's meeting provides much needed hope to those who have waited over 34 years for a solution.

The former Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Rolandis is optimistic that momentum⁶ for further confidence building measures can be created.

"We have two moderate leaders on both sides of the dividing line, the new president of Cyprus Demitris Christofias has been working for a united Cyprus for many years and I would say the same applies for Mr Talat. It's a historical moment for Cyprus," he said.  "It is not an easy feat⁷ of course to have the problem resolved."

Over 30 years of U.N. efforts have failed to reunite the Greek and Turkish communities and a catalogue of painful problems face the two leaders including property rights, the return of displaced people and security arrangements.

The veteran former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who was seen by many in the international community as the main obstacle to peace in Cyprus, thinks the latest wave renewed optimism gives a false impression of the realities of the Cyprus dilemma⁸.

"Unfortunately, people who create this atmosphere are people who refuse to diagnose the problem," he said.

He and his supporters are adamant⁹ that the only way the political stalemate on the island will be solved is for two separate independent states, working together.

"Don't' we want to unite? Don't we want Cyprus to be free and normal again? Of course we do, but on the basis this time of permanence," he added.  "Not a paper agreement, but on the basis of reality.  [The] reality is, existence of two national units, two states, like Czechs and Slovaks. Let them agree how to work together - how to be represented in the EU - but not to put Turkish Cypriots back again into the laps of Greek Cypriots, who will continue to try and make Cyprus Greek again."

The main fear now is that if the two sides do not move to secure peace and re-unification that time will finally run out and the island will remain cut in two.

Mehmet Cakici is the leader of the Turkish Cypriot Democracy Party.

"Everyday we are losing our optimism in our society, especially the Turkish Cypriots, so maybe this will be our last chance," he said.

This country has been split since the Turkish invasion in 1974. The Greek Cypriots in the south represent Cyprus in the EU, the Turkish Cypriot north is seen as a breakaway state, with only Turkey recognizing it.

1 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。

2 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。

3 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

5 stagnation   

n. 停滞

参考例句：

• Poor economic policies led to a long period of stagnation and decline. 糟糕的经济政策道致了长时间的经济萧条和下滑。
• Motion is absolute while stagnation is relative. 运动是绝对的，而静止是相对的。

6 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

7 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

8 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

9 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。