VOA标准英语2010年-East Timor Parliament Rejects Australi

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces plans to send boat people to East Timor to have their refugee claims assessed, Sydney, 6 July 2010

The Australian government plans to continue talks with East Timor on establishing a refugee processing center there, even though the country's parliament has rejected the idea. Prime Minister Julia Gillard says a regional detention¹ facility would deter² asylum³ seekers from making the often perilous⁴ journey by boat to Australia.

Australian officials said Tuesday they are convinced the plan to hold illegal migrants on East Timor while their asylum applications are processed will work.

More than half of East Timor's parliament members, however, on Monday voted for against the idea. All 34 law makers⁵ present opposed it. Many said Canberra had not consulted with them about the idea.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith notes, however, that nearly half of East Timor's 65 members of parliament did not take part in the vote.

"Unlike the Australian parliament East Timorese ministers do not sit in the East Timorese parliament," Smith said. "So this is a reflection of those members of the East Timorese parliament present at the time. It is not the government's response."

Government officials say its representatives discussed the idea Monday with members of the East Timor government.

East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta has said he is open to negotiations⁶ on the idea, but his country's decision-making power rests with the government, which seems unwilling⁷ to agree to Australia's request.

Australia processes most asylum claims on Christmas Island, its remote territory in the Indian Ocean. The facility is overcrowded, and the government has moved some detainees to the mainland while their applications are assessed.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is wants to address a recent influx⁸ of boats carrying asylum seekers before a general election expected in the next couple of months. So far this year, more than 75 vessels⁹ have been intercepted¹⁰.

Immigration will play a key part in the election campaign. The conservative opposition¹¹ accuses the Labor¹² government of losing control of Australia's borders through soft asylum policies, allegations Labor ministers reject.

Australia grants visas to about 13,000 displaced people every year under international re-settlement programs.

 

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

3 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

4 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

8 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

9 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

11 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。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。