欧洲－欧盟在塞浦路斯问题上与地其摊牌

EU Faces Showdown with Turkey over Cyprus

欧盟在塞浦路斯问题上与地其摊牌

 

European Union foreign ministers are putting pressure on Turkey to recognize Cyprus if Ankara expects to ever join the 25-nation bloc¹.

 

Turkey is to begin negotiations² on October 3 that could eventually lead to EU membership for the predominately Muslim nation of 70 million people.

 

But Ankara's refusal to recognize the government of Cyprus - an EU member - has cast a shadow over the process. Further complicating³ matters are recent referendums in France and the Netherlands, in which voters rejected an EU constitution, partly out of concern about Turkey joining the Union.

 

Officials from Britain, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency⁴, call the dispute with Turkey a difficult and divisive issue.

 

One suggestion is to offer Turkey something less than full EU membership, a proposal tacitly backed by Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

 

Ursula Plassnik: We do not want to close doors to Turkey, quite the contrary, but we think we should be more realistic in working towards this goal. And we should also specifically mention an alternative.

 

However, Turkey rejects anything but full EU membership. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul says the idea of a so-called privileged partnership⁵ with the EU, is in his words, "illegitimate and immoral⁶."

 

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in response to an attempted coup⁷ by pro-Greek supporters. Turkish troops still occupy the northern third of the Mediterranean⁸ island.

 

Cyprus joined the EU last year along with nine other countries, mostly from the former Communist bloc.

 

The EU ministers in Wales are also considering the standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. EU diplomats⁹ say Iran could soon be referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions unless the dispute is resolved quickly.

 

Michael Drudge¹⁰, VOA news, Newport, Wales.

 

注释：

Cyprus [5saiprEs] n. 塞浦路斯

Ankara [5ANkErE] n. 安卡拉（土耳其首都）

referendum [7refE5rendEm] n. 公民投票

tacitly [5tAsitli] adv. 肃静地，沉默地

illegitimate [7ili5dVitimit] adj. 违法的，不合理的

immoral [i5mCrEl] adj. 不道德的

Mediterranean [7meditE5reinjEn] n. 地中海

sanction [5sANkFEn] n. 制裁

1 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

2 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。

3 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

7 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

8 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

9 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 drudge   

n.劳碌的人；v.做苦工，操劳

参考例句：

• I feel like a real drudge--I've done nothing but clean all day!我觉得自己像个做苦工的--整天都在做清洁工作！
• I'm a poor,miserable,forlorn drudge;I shall only drag you down with me.我是一个贫穷，倒运，走投无路的苦力，只会拖累你。