VOA标准英语2008年-US House of Representatives Criticizes Mugabe G

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
18 June 2008

In two resolutions, the U.S. House of Representatives criticizes Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe for ongoing¹ political violence. VOA's Dan Robison has more in this report from Capitol Hill.
　

Robert Mugabe makes speech during independence celebrations in Harare, 18 Apr 2008

One of the resolutions condemns² post-election violence in Zimbabwe earlier this year and calls for an immediate³ and peaceful resolution of the current political crisis and an end to violence.

The other commends dock workers and union members in South Africa and elsewhere who moved to block an arms shipment that was destined⁴ for Zimbabwe.
　

New Jersey5 Democrat6 Donald Payne

New Jersey Democrat Donald Payne, who chairs the House Africa Subcommittee sponsores the first measure:

"While many African countries move to embrace democracy and rule of law, the dictatorship in Zimbabwe has taken the once-promising country to a state of anarchy⁷ and haplessness," said Congressman⁸ Payne.

Payne's resolution urges a cessation of attacks on and abuse of civilians⁹, and condemns what it calls an orchestrated campaign of violence, torture and harassment¹⁰ against the opposition¹¹ by the ruling party and supporters and sympathizers in Zimbabwe's police and military.

The measure also encourages the government and opposition to begin a dialogue aimed at establishing a government of national unity¹² and eventual¹³ peaceful transition of power through free and fair elections, along with creation of a South Africa-style truth and reconciliation¹⁴ commission.

Republican Chris Smith:

"With a runoff election scheduled for June 27th, we need to send a message, a good strong bipartisan message, that we in the U.S. and the world expect fair, peaceful, balloting," said Congressman Smith. "The will of the people must be heard."

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday expressed profound alarm over the situation in Zimbabwe, ahead of the presidential election runoff vote.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice urged the U.N. Security Council and African leaders to put pressure on President Mugabe to ensure that voting is free and fair. The Security Council has scheduled a formal meeting next week on Zimbabwe.

In a separate resolution, House lawmakers commend South Africa's Transport and Allied¹⁵ Workers Union and its members for their refusal to unload a shipment of arms that arrived on a Chinese vessel¹⁶ in the South African port of Durban this past March.

This resolution states that the arms were likely to be used by the Mugabe government against the political opposition and other civilians, and praises the Congress of Southern African Trade Unions which joined a call by the International Transport Federation¹⁷ for an international boycott¹⁸ of the vessel.

California Republican Ed Royce says the actions of dock workers and union leaders likely prevented a new outbreak of bloodshed in Zimbabwe.

"The ship of shame, as South Africans began to call it, as African civil society dubbed¹⁹ it, went on to Mozambique where it was turned away, when on to other ports in other countries where it was turned away, and it steamed back to China," said Congressman Royce. "Africans stood up for other Africans, an inspiring event indeed."

House lawmakers also urge U.S. support at the United Nations for an international moratorium²⁰ on all arms, weapons and related shipments to Zimbabwe until the country's political crisis is resolved and democracy, human rights and the rule of law are respected by the Zimbabwe government.

In April, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution containing a call for a peaceful resolution of Zimbabwe's political crisis, and urging a United Nations arms embargo²¹.

1 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。

2 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 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。

10 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

11 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。

12 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

13 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

14 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

15 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

16 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

17 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

18 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

19 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

21 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。