VOA标准英语2008年-US Warns Russia To Halt 'Invasion' Of Georgia

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has condemned¹ Russian military operations in the former Soviet² republic of Georgia, saying the action reminds her of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. She spoke³ in Georgia where the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili declared that his country would never surrender despite Moscow's military might. Stefan Bos reports for VOA from the Georgian town of Zestaponi, which is feeling the impact of ongoing⁴ fighting.
　
Condoleezza Rice, left, and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili at news conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, 15 Aug 2008

In one of her strongest statements to date, Rice condemned what some have described as Russia's first foreign invasion since the Cold War ended.

Georgia says Russia now controls one-third of the country, three days after Moscow accepted a European Union-brokered cease-fire. Speaking after talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Tblisi, Rice said "Russian forces need to leave Georgia at once."

She stressed that Moscow should realize that "this is no longer 1968," when Soviet forces invaded Czechoslovakia and ended a period of reforms known as the Prague Spring.

Rice said she no longer trusts Russian peacekeepers who have been present in Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"In order to stabilize⁵ the situation in Georgia, we need international observers on the scene fast. And eventually we need a more robust⁶ and impartial⁷ international peacekeeping force that would follow those monitors. I count on Russian cooperation in getting those monitors in," she said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has made clear however that the world in his words "can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial⁸ integrity." Georgian President Saakashvili responded that his country will never give up territory, including the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which seek closer ties with Russia.

"Never Georgia will succumb⁹ to their pressures. Never ever we will surrender. Never ever we will give up our freedom and independence. Never ever we will give any piece of our territory. And freedom will go to every part of Georgia, to every ethnic¹⁰ group to every community in Georgia and we will definitely get rid of this invaders¹¹ for good. I am totally convinced of that one," he said.

Yet the tensions have underscored problems to reach a lasting¹² fragile cease-fire, including on the road to Gori, one of the main flashpoints in recent days.

In Zestaponi, the last main town near Gori, Georgian security forces have blocked the road.

The Georgians told VOA News that Russian forces still control part of the road and accuse the Russians of attacking positions in and around Gori. The clashes have cut people off from their families. They are desperately¹³ waiting for the police blockade to be over.

Foreigners are also caught in the cross fire, including Erich F. Heckmann, a German who says he wants to return home from a rare reunion with his Georgian wife's family. "We came from the Black Sea to reach our airplane in Armenia. So we are now (in trouble). I have to do my job at home. My wife has to do her job at home. That's why I called the German embassy. But he refused (to help me). All (traffic) is stopped. And I said: "I don't want to die here, and stay. I can't," he said.

Russian and South Ossetia officials say some two-thousand people have died in the conflict, but that figure has been difficult to verify independently. The United Nations refugee agency says about 100,000 people have fled the fighting.

 

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 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。

5 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

6 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。

7 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

8 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

9 succumb   

v.屈服，屈从；死

参考例句：

• They will never succumb to the enemies.他们决不向敌人屈服。
• Will business leaders succumb to these ideas?商业领袖们会被这些观点折服吗？

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

11 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

12 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

13 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。