联合国通过了禁止克隆的一项非强制性决议

 

UN Approves Non-Binding Resolution on Cloning

联合国通过了禁止克隆的一项非强制性决议

 A deeply divided U.N. General Assembly has approved a U.S.-backed declaration urging governments to ban all human cloning. Several countries immediately announced they would ignore the declaration.

 

After four years of technical and often bitter debate, the result of the vote on the declaration revealed failure to reach a consensus¹.

 

Eighty four of the 191 U.N. member states voted for the measure, 34 voted "no", 37 others abstained³, and several more countries simply did not show up for the vote.

 

All countries agreed that reproductive cloning should be banned. But consensus broke down on the issue of cloning human embryos⁴ for stem cell research. In the end, the non-binding statement urged countries to adopt laws banning all cloning, including for medical research.

 

The vote is a victory for the United States and a number of predominantly Catholic countries that favor a ban on all forms of human cloning.

 

But comments made after the vote revealed lingering hostilities⁵. In a clear reference to the United States, British ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry accused some countries of "intransigence⁶" and made clear his country had no intention of observing a ban.

 

Emyr Jones-Parry: I reject the whole tenor⁷ of it. The General Assembly missed another opportunity to put a ban on reproductive cloning. We missed out because a number of other countries were intransigent in trying to impose their wishes and their prejudices on the sovereign governments. As a result of that, there is no agreement, and for the United Kingdom we announced yesterday $2 billion of money for research on stem cell work, and we will maintain that position. The UK will be open for business.

 

South Korea and the Netherlands also flatly rejected the measure. China and Belgium were among other countries saying they would not honor the declaration.

 

Several ambassadors, however, admitted they were torn about which way to vote. Norway's ambassador Johan Lovald explained that his country voted against the declaration even though it agrees with the principle.

 

Johan Lovald: Norway's priority has been to contribute to the elaboration of an effective, legally-binding instrument in the form of a convention on human cloning. We are unfortunately not able to see merit in a voted non-binding political declaration, as such a text would not be the expression of the will of the world community as a whole. We have therefore felt compelled to vote against the declaration.

 

Backers of the measure say they are satisfied with the outcome. But Ambassador Bruno Stagno of Costa Rica, which sponsored the original proposal, expressed regret that consensus proved impossible. He spoke⁸ through an interpreter.

 

Bruno Stagno: In reality it is surprising and sad that at the beginning of the 21st century, certain delegations⁹ have objections to a text which calls upon states to adequately protect human life.

 

President Bush had urged the Assembly to approve a total cloning ban in his annual U.N. address last September. A U.S. diplomat¹⁰ welcomed the vote Tuesday, but said he would have nothing to add to a statement made last month, which called the declaration an important step to achieving a culture of life.

 

Peter Heinlein, VOA news, the United Nations.

 

注释：

consensus [kEn5sensEs] n. 一致同意，多数人的意见

abstain² [Eb5stein] v. 禁绝，放弃，弃权

show up v. 揭露，露出，露面

embryos [5embriEuz] n. 晶胚

stem cell 干细胞

intransigence [in5trAnsidVEns] n. 不妥协态度，不让步，不调和

elaboration [i9lAbE5reiFEn] n. 苦心经营，苦心经营的结果，详尽的细节

Costa Rica [5kCstE5ri:kE] n. 哥斯达黎加

1 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

2 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

3 abstained   

v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
• They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

5 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

6 intransigence   

n.妥协的态度；强硬

参考例句：

• He often appeared angry and frustrated by the intransigence of both sides.他似乎常常为双方各不相让而生气沮丧。
• Yet for North Korea,intransigence is the norm.不过对朝鲜来说，决不妥协是其一贯作风。

7 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

10 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。