VOA标准英语2008年-Russia Defends Recognition of South Ossetia; Ab

Russia's U.N. envoy¹ has defended his government's decision to recognize two breakaway Georgian provinces, saying Tbilisi's attack on South Ossetia earlier this month canceled existing U.N. resolutions that assure Georgia's territorial² integrity and created a "new reality". From United Nation's headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.
　
Vitaly Churkin talks to reporters at UN headquarters in New York (file)

Reading a statement from the Russian Ministry³ of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his government has recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in the face of an "aggressive, chauvinistic⁴ policy pursued by Tbilisi."

He said Russia showed great patience in waiting this long to recognize the two breakaway regions and its decision to do so was unanimous in the Russian parliament.

"We waited for such a long time," Churkin said. "They have been urging us to recognize them for years now, so there was a remarkable⁵ patience on display from the Russian Federation⁶."

Churkin said Russia has no intention of annexing⁷ the two provinces, where many of the residents hold Russian nationality.

In a separate news conference, Georgia's U.N. Ambassador Irakli Alasania rejected the Russian move, saying it would further inflame⁸ an already dire⁹ situation.

"This step has no international, legal consequence," he said. "It has no impact on the internationally established borders of Georgia, and will not change in any way the international community's stand on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Georgia."

But Russia's ambassador disputed that, saying Georgia's August 8 attack on South Ossetia negated¹⁰ existing U.N. resolutions that guarantee Georgia's territorial integrity.

"Their use of force against South Ossetia clearly dashed all those previous resolutions and created a completely new reality," said Churkin.

Western powers do not agree with Russia on that point, and many diplomats¹¹ pointed¹² out Tuesday that all previous Security Council resolutions reaffirming Georgia's borders and sovereignty remain in effect and cannot be reversed through military action.

Earlier this month, Russia, Georgia and the breakaway provinces signed a peace plan comprised of six points, which include the opening of international talks on security arrangements for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Ambassador Churkin says Moscow still subscribes¹³ to these points, despite its decision to recognize the provinces' independence before such talks can take place.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 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。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 chauvinistic   

a.沙文主义(者)的

参考例句：

• The tribe has been forced to modify its chauvinistic attitudes. 部族不得不改变它的沙文主义姿态。
• And seeing others' suffering when considering your chauvinistic interests of great America. 在考虑大美沙文利益的时候想想世界的福祉。

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 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。

7 annexing   

并吞( annex的现在分词 )； 兼并； 强占； 并吞（国家、地区等）

参考例句：

• In addition to annexing territory, they exacted huge indemnities. 割地之外，又索去了巨大的赔款。
• He succeeded in annexing all the property of Hindley's and the Linton's. 他成功的占有了亨得利和林顿的所有财产。

8 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

9 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

10 negated   

v.取消( negate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；否定；否认

参考例句：

• Our historical right to rule ourselves as a people had been negated. 我们被剥夺了作为一个民族治理自己国家的历史权利。 来自辞典例句
• Thus far we have negated frictional effects in the harmonic oscillator. 到现在为止，我们一直没有考虑谐和振荡器中的摩擦效应。 来自辞典例句

11 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》

12 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

13 subscribes   

v.捐助( subscribe的第三人称单数 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意

参考例句：

• The library subscribes to 40 magazines. 这个图书馆订购四十种杂志。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He subscribes to a number of journals concerning his subject. 他订阅了许多与他的学科有关的杂志。 来自辞典例句