VOA标准英语2010年-Clinton to Push for Wider Kosovo Recog

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to work for broader international recognition of Kosovo on Wednesday during a visit to Pristina, the first by a U.S. chief diplomat¹ since Kosovo's independence in 2008. Clinton also stressed U.S. backing for the rights of Kosovo's Serb minority.

Secretary Clinton received a hero's welcome from hundreds of Pristina residents as she stopped her motorcade at a nearly four-meter-high statue honoring her husband - former President Bill Clinton - along a boulevard named for him.

 
AP
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton smiles in front of a statue of her husband former President Bill Clinton, in Pristina, Kosovo, 13 Oct. 2010
The Clinton administration is revered² in Kosovo for having backed the 1999 NATO air campaign that ended a brutal³ crackdown by Serb forces, and put the majority ethnic-Albanian region on the road to independence.

In talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other officials, the Secretary of State pledged continuing U.S. political support for Kosovo, and its quest for broader international recognition and full European Union and NATO membership.

At a press event with Mr. Thaci, Clinton said she was heading for Brussels, the last stop on her four-day European trip, with a list of countries the United States will try to persuade to recognize the Pristina government.

About 70 nations, with some EU members notably⁴ absent, have recognized Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. Clinton said that number should increase following the International Court of Justice's ruling upholding the legality of the independence move.

"We think it's important to continue to increase the numbers of countries that recognize [Kosovo], especially after the ICJ opinion, which we believe settles the matter of independence once and for all," she said. "I also believe that the approach that the government of Kosovo has been taking has really earned admiration⁵ and support from around the world."

Clinton, who visited Belgrade prior to her stop in Kosovo, welcomed Serbia's commitment to heed⁶ a U.N. General Assembly appeal to open dialogue with its former province, even though Serbian President Boris Tadic on Tuesday reaffirmed his government's refusal to recognize Kosovo.

Standing⁷ alongside Clinton at a press event, Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the ICJ opinion and the U.N. resolution should end any debate over his country's political legitimacy⁸. He added that Kosovo is ready to engage with Serbia on an equal footing. He is heard through an interpreter.

"We see a new chapter being opened now, a new phase being opened in our relationships between the state of Kosovo and Serbia," he said. "The future chapter of cooperation between these two countries has been opened. It's time to close the more that one century-long conflict between Serbia and Kosovo. The time is to cooperate and look toward the future."

Clinton balanced her political support for Kosovo's government with gestures toward the country's ethnic-Serb minority, which has dwindled⁹ in recent years.

She went to the Serb enclave of Gracanica, outside of Pristina, and visited a 14th century Serbian Orthodox religious shrine¹⁰, where the chief cleric complained to her that Kosovo is impeding¹¹ the return of Serbs who had fled unrest in the country.

Clinton told a gathering¹² of ethnic-Serb mayors in Gracanica that preservation¹³ of the cultural and religious heritage of all of the majority-Muslim country's people is essential to Kosovo's long-term stability.

"I believe the only way Kosovo will fully¹⁴ prosper¹⁵ is if Kosovo Serbs see a secure and peaceful future for themselves," she said. "The United States strongly supports you - the Kosovo Serb mayors and other local leaders who are working to create that future."

the Kosovo Serb mayors and other local leaders who are working to create that future."

Clinton said she will press for full European integration¹⁶ for Balkan states in meetings in Brussels with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and at a meeting of NATO defense¹⁷ and foreign ministers on Thursday.
 

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

9 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

11 impeding   

a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的

参考例句：

• Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers. 坠落的石头阻滞了救援人员的救援进程。
• Is there sufficient room for the kiosk and kiosk traffic without impeding other user traffic? 该环境下是否有足够的空间来摆放信息亭？信息亭是否会妨碍交通或者行走？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

12 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

13 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

15 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

16 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

17 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。