VOA标准英语2009年-US Says Burmese Prisoner Release Insufficient

The United States has welcomed Burma's release of about 20 political prisoners, but said the military government should free all its political detainees including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Obama administration is reviewing U.S. policy toward Burma.
　
Burma's detained opposition¹ leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Ibrahim Gambari, UN special envoy² to Burma, during their meeting in Rangoon, Burma (2008 file)

State Department officials say it is unclear if the Burmese prisoner release was a gesture toward the Obama administration, which is reviewing all aspects of U.S. policy toward Burma including tough trade sanctions.

But they say in any event, the release was insufficient³ and that the reclusive military government should free all the estimated 2,100 political prisoners it holds.

News reports from Burma say about 20 political detainees are among the more than 6,000 prisoners being freed under a general amnesty that began Saturday.

At a news briefing, State Department Acting⁴ Spokesman Robert Wood said the release of the political prisoners, including a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party held for more than 20 years, was welcome but lacking.

"It is a step. We obviously welcome the release of all political prisoners," he said. "But we call on the Burmese to release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi. We will have to see if this leads to more releases. Obviously the release of any political prisoners is something we would welcome. But a lot more needs to be done."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is just back from a tour of Asia, has ordered the review of U.S. policy toward Burma, which has relied on broad trade sanctions, and travel and financial penalties focused on the senior military leaders, to try to prod⁶ the country toward reform.

Spokesman Wood said the review ordered is aimed at finding out a way to influence the behavior of the military government, given that trade sanctions and other aspects of Bush administration policy toward Burma really have not worked.

"Nothing has really moved," he said. "And we have got to try and find a way to move the Burmese government in the direction that we want them to move in. And it is something the Secretary cares very deeply about. And she is frustrated⁷, as we all are, that things have not progressed the way we would have liked to have seen them progress."

On a stop in Indonesia last week, Secretary Clinton said it is unfortunate that the Burmese leadership seems impervious⁸ to outside influence.

A senior official who spoke⁵ to reporters here said Clinton is looking for what he termed the right mix of incentives⁹ and disincentives to get the Burmese leadership to free all the political detainees.

He said the near-total U.S. ban on trade with Burma is among issues being reviewed as well as whether the United States might engage the Burmese leadership more directly.

The United States has not had a full ambassador in Burma since 1990, the year Aung San Suu Kyi's party won parliamentary elections but was barred from taking power.

1 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。

2 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。

3 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 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。

6 prod   

vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励

参考例句：

• The crisis will prod them to act.那个危机将刺激他们行动。
• I shall have to prod him to pay me what he owes.我将不得不催促他把欠我的钱还给我。

7 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 impervious   

adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的

参考例句：

• He was completely impervious to criticism.他对批评毫不在乎。
• This material is impervious to gases and liquids.气体和液体都透不过这种物质。

9 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法