VOA标准英语2009年-South Sudan Switches Strategy on Disputed

South Sudan has issued a new argument to support its claim on a major oil field given to the North as part of the Abyei ruling last week at The Hague. Disputing the North's possession of the oil field, the South says the prized land is still part of a separate southern region.
　
Abyei in Southern Sudan

South Sudan's ruling party, the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement, or SPLM, says that the Heglig oil field belongs to the southern Unity¹ State region. The SPLM is threatening to appeal this continued border dispute at The Hague as a separate case.

Southern officials explain their new position by saying that while the Abyei case was ongoing², it was not wise to decide between the alleged³ separate claims on the oil field between Abyei and Unity State.

But now that it has lost that portion of the ruling, it says it will press a separate claim on the oil field by its Unity region.

The dispute has become so complicated, with both sides pointing to often inaccessible⁴ anthropological⁵ and historical evidence that is decades and sometimes centuries old, that experts are not able to easily decipher the validity of the two sides' various claims.

Sudanese analyst⁶ Fouad Hikmat sees the latest debate over the oil field as political posturing⁷ within a fragile peace arrangement that could collapse⁸ at any time. According to Hikmat, both sides need to position some claim on the disputed border regions as legitimate⁹ in case relations between the North and South deteriorate¹⁰.

"Everybody is throwing [out] these arguments now for future discussions, future problems. If something goes wrong, then there is an argument. People are preparing something. Everyone is figuring out what does this mean, this decision," Hikmat said.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration¹¹ ruled in the South's favor by placing most of the disputed area within Abyei borders. But the court gave the North a major victory by excluding the oil fields from the territory. The South had been arguing for a wide demarcation of Abyei's borders because it hopes the territory will vote to join South Sudan in a referendum that is expected to be held on the same day as the January 2011 southern Sudan independence vote.

International observers breathed a sigh of relief as each party immediately accepted the Abyei ruling. But the calm waned¹² as the two sides began trading jabs over the territory.

As the South refuses to cede¹³ the disputed oil field, Khartoum angered many southerners by declaring that it is no longer going to share oil revenues from Heglig with the South.

Northern Sudan leader Omar al-Bashir has also drawn¹⁴ complaints from Southern leaders for indicating in a recent speech that non-settled Arab nomads¹⁵ in the Abyei area would be able to vote in the 2011 self-determination vote. The Arab nomads are often associated with northern Sudan, whereas the settled farmers are tied more to the South.

1 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。

2 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。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

5 anthropological   

adj.人类学的

参考例句：

• These facts of responsibility are an anthropological datums- varied and multiform. 这些道德事实是一种人类学资料——性质不同，形式各异。 来自哲学部分
• It is the most difficult of all anthropological data on which to "draw" the old Negro. 在所有的人类学资料中，最困难的事莫过于“刻划”古代的黑人。 来自辞典例句

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

11 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

12 waned   

v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• However,my enthusiasm waned.The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished. 然而，我的热情减退了。我在做操上花的时间逐渐减少了。 来自《用法词典》
• The bicycle craze has waned. 自行车热已冷下去了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 cede   

v.割让，放弃

参考例句：

• The debater refused to cede the point to her opponent.辩论者拒绝向她的对手放弃其主张。
• Not because I'm proud.In fact,in front of you I cede all my pride.这不是因为骄傲，事实上我在你面前毫无骄傲可言。

14 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

15 nomads   

n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 )；流浪者；游牧生活；流浪生活

参考例句：

• For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
• Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》