VOA标准英语2010年-Australia Threatens Japan With Court A

Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, left, shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Sydney, 20 Feb 2010

Japan's foreign minister visits Australia Saturday for bi-lateral talks.  Among the topics expected to be discussed is the sensitive issue of whaling.  Australia is strongly opposed to Japan's annual whale harvest in the Southern Ocean and has threatened to take Tokyo to court if the hunt is not stopped by November. 
 
Australia has set a November deadline for Japan to stop whaling in Antarctic waters, or face international court action.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was still hopeful that talks with the Japanese would lead to a negotiated settlement whereby Tokyo would abandon its annual hunt in the Southern Ocean.

Mr. Rudd will be able to deliver his ultimatum¹ in person to Japan's foreign minister, Katsuya Okada, who arrives in Sydney Saturday for pre-arranged talks on trade and military ties.

The Australian leader says his government is committed to international legal action if discussions fail to convince Japan to stop killing² whales in the Antarctic. "We have put ourselves onto a timeline.  We are working it through with the Japanese but if they do not come at this agreement to reduce [hunting quotas] to zero, we will initiate³ that action," said Mr. Rudd.  

Australia has threatened to seek international legal action before.  This latest reference by Mr. Rudd, who is likely to face a general election later this years,  has been dismissed as early electioneering by members of the Japanese government.

However, Australia insists it has amassed⁴ compelling photographic and video evidence to launch legal action against Japan at the international court of justice in The Hague.

Officials in Tokyo have expressed confidence they would win any legal confrontation⁵, which threatens to destabilize relations between the Asia-Pacific partners.

The two nations approach the issue of whaling from vastly different cultural perspectives. 

Australia views whales as irreplaceable giants of the sea whose vitality⁶ reflects the health of the oceans. 

Many Japanese consider the large mammals as simply a source of food, although consumption of whale meat in Japan has declined.

Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith is confident that disagreements over whaling will not damage the bilateral⁷ relationship. "Neither of us will let it get in the way of the strength of what is a fundamentally important relationship between Australia and Japan," he said.

Japan kills about 1,000 humpback and minke whales each year in the Southern Ocean as part of what it calls genuine scientific research.

Australia, and other critics, say the annual hunt is merely a front for commercial whaling, which is banned under international law.

This year's hunt in the Southern Ocean has been punctuated⁸ by violent clashes between the Japanese fleet and radical⁹ conservationists.

 

1 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

4 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

6 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

7 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

8 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。