VOA常速英语2020--必须调查俄罗斯反对派领袖中毒事件

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government. It is welcome news that Russian opposition¹ leader Alexei Navalny is out of a medically-induced coma² and is responding to verbal stimuli³, according to his doctors in Berlin. A statement from Charite hospital warned, however, that it “remains much too early to gauge⁴ the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning.” Mr. Navalny was flown to Berlin from Russia after he fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20, and after Russian doctors, at the request of his family, allowed him to be transported to Germany. In Berlin German doctors determined⁵ that Mr. Navalny, who is a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had been poisoned by a nerve agent of the Novichok group, a chemical weapon developed by Russia. After the German medical experts announced their findings, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan called for “an immediate⁶, comprehensive, and transparent⁷ investigation⁸ by the Russian authorities that holds the parties behind this act responsible.”

以下是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。据在柏林治疗俄罗斯反对派领袖阿列克谢·纳瓦尔尼的医生说，患者已经脱离了药物引起的昏迷状态，并对语言刺激有反应，这是一个可喜的消息。然而，夏里特医院发布声明警告称，“现在就衡量这次重症中毒对患者造成的潜在长期后果还为时过早。”纳瓦尔尼已从俄罗斯飞往柏林，此前，纳瓦尔尼于8月20日在从西伯利亚飞往莫斯科的航班上病倒，在他的家人的要求下，俄罗斯医生允许将他送往德国。在柏林，德国医生认定，纳瓦尔尼（俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京的犀利批评者）是被人用“诺维乔克”神经毒剂毒害的，这种毒剂是由俄罗斯研制的化学武器。在德国医学专家宣布了调查结果后，美国驻俄罗斯大使约翰·萨利文呼吁“俄罗斯当局立即展开全面、透明的调查，追究幕后黑手的责任”。

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany described Mr. Navalny’s poisoning as “completely reprehensible:” “Russia has used chemical nerve agents in the past, and we’re working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign⁹ activities. The Russian people have a right to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents.” Emphasizing the need for a collective response, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO Allies “were united in condemning” the “horrific” attack on Mr. Navalny, and urged Russia to participate in an impartial¹¹, international investigation into the circumstances of the attempted assassination¹² and find those responsible. The G7 Foreign Ministers issued a written statement also calling on Russia “to urgently and fully¹⁰ establish transparency on who is responsible for this abhorrent¹³ poisoning attack and bearing in mind Russia’s commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to bring the perpetrators to justice." “This attack against opposition leader Navalny is another grave blow against democracy and political plurality in Russia,” said the G7. “We will continue to monitor closely how Russia responds to international calls for an explanation of the hideous¹⁴ poisoning of Mr. Navalny.” Secretary of State Michael Pompeo echoed the G7 statement saying, “This attack contravenes¹⁵ the international norms prohibiting the use of such weapons.” That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.

白宫新闻秘书凯莉·麦肯纳尼称纳瓦尔尼中毒事件“应受彻底谴责”。“俄罗斯过去曾经使用过化学神经毒剂，我们正与我们的盟友和国际社会合作，不论证据指向哪里，我们都要追责那些在俄罗斯境内的人，并限制他们从事恶意活动的资金。俄罗斯人民有权和平表达自己的观点，而无须害怕遭到任何形式的报复，当然也不应遭到化学毒剂毒害。”北约秘书长延斯·斯托尔滕贝格强调了集体回应的必要性，他说，北约盟国“一致谴责”对纳瓦尔尼的“可怕”攻击，并敦促俄罗斯参与公正的国际调查，查明这起刺杀未遂案的相关情况，找出负责人。七国集团外长发布了一份书面声明，呼吁俄罗斯“紧急并全面公开这起令人发指的投毒袭击事件的负责人，还要铭记俄罗斯在《化学武器公约》的义务，将肇事者绳之以法。”七国集团表示，“这次针对反对派领袖纳瓦尔尼的袭击是对俄罗斯民主和政治多元化的又一次沉重打击。”“国际社会呼吁俄方对丑恶的纳瓦尔尼中毒事件作出解释，我们将继续密切关注俄方对此如何回应。”国务卿麦克·蓬佩奥回应了七国集团的声明，称，“这次攻击违反了禁止使用此类武器的国际准则。”这是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。

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 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

3 stimuli   

n.刺激（物）

参考例句：

• It is necessary to curtail or alter normally coexisting stimuli.必需消除或改变正常时并存的刺激。
• My sweat glands also respond to emotional stimuli.我的汗腺对情绪刺激也能产生反应。

4 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

10 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。

11 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

12 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

13 abhorrent   

adj.可恶的，可恨的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• He is so abhorrent,saying such bullshit to confuse people.他这样乱说，妖言惑众，真是太可恶了。
• The idea of killing animals for food is abhorrent to many people.许多人想到杀生取食就感到憎恶。

14 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

15 contravenes   

v.取消，违反( contravene的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This fence contravenes our common right to pasturage. 这道栅栏侵害了我们牧场的共有权。 来自辞典例句
• This evidence contravenes our theory. 这个证据跟我们的理论不相符。 来自辞典例句