2006年VOA标准英语-Call for Action to Stop Fighting in Darfur, Sud

By Deborah Block
Washington, DC
24 October 2006
 
watch Darfur Ad Campaign

Newspaper advertisements appeared in two major American newspapers recently (Washington Post and New York Times) calling on the international community to take strong action against Sudan's government to halt the conflict between the government and rebels in Darfur, Sudan.  A private, bi-partisan, U.S. foreign policy group called "Partnership¹ for a Secure America" says it placed the advertisement to encourage policy-makers to act to protect the huge numbers of people affected² by the fighting. 

Demonstrators stage protest over Darfur in front of White House

It is not known how many have died in Darfur from the violence, but in its advertisement, the Partnership for a Secure America put that figure at 400,000.  It says 2.5 million people have been displaced, many of them fleeing to neighboring Chad.  A peace agreement signed last May by the government and one major rebel group was supposed to end the conflict.  Instead, it has sparked months of fighting between rival rebel factions³.

Chip Andreae, co-chair of Partnership for a Secure America, says policy-makers must take concrete steps now to end the conflict. "Our efforts were really directed at foreign policy leaders themselves -- the leadership that we find in Congress, the leadership in the executive branch of government, and to the extent that embassies and the U.N. and other individuals who follow and care for Darfur would want or need to focus on it."

Colin Thomas-Jensen is with the International Crisis Group in Washington, which works to prevent conflict worldwide.  He says the Darfur newspaper advertisement can help put pressure on policy-makers. "There does seem to be a growing recognition among policy-makers, both in the U.S. government and outside, that we need to take a much stronger line with the government of Sudan."

The fighting began in 2003, when ethnic⁴ African tribes revolted against the Arab-led Sudanese government.  Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir retaliated⁵ by unleashing⁶ brutal⁷ Arab militias⁸, known as janjaweed, which have been attacking rebels and civilians⁹.  The partnership says rape¹⁰ and murder are happening every day and charges the Sudanese government with genocide.

Andreae adds, "I think it's been raised to the level of genocide by the number of people, by the ferocity of the anger and toughness used by the government of Sudan."

Ill-equipped African Union soldiers trying to keep peace in Darfur have been largely ineffective.  The United Nations wants to replace them with U.N. peacekeeping troops, but the Sudanese government has rejected the plan. 

The newspaper advertisement says if a U.N. force is not deployed¹¹, then NATO-led intervention¹² should be considered.   It also says it is time to approve a NATO-led no fly zone over Darfur, expand sanctions on the Sudanese government, freeze Sudan's assets, and block its oil exports.

Andreae says the international community should help. "We need to be engaged with Russia, China, and the Arab League and other institutions which have an interest in this subject to specifically draw them more deeply to the process, be more fully¹³ engaged, and that we need to look at the role NATO might play in yet providing another level of deterrent¹⁴ for the activities that cannot go on."

Hunger is rampant¹⁵ in Darfur.  The U.N. World Food Program says it is not able to feed some 350,000 people because of a lack of security.  Sudan's president denies there is a hunger crisis.

Thomas-Jensen says it is imperative¹⁶ additional international pressure be applied¹⁷ to alleviate¹⁸ the situation. "To this point, the government seems conditioned to accept the fact that they can get away with just about anything.  They're acting¹⁹ with impunity²⁰.  They've launched a new offensive in north Darfur.  And so we're seeing the effects of this small dog diplomacy²¹ over the past few years, incessantly²² barking, but with very little bite, and so if we start to clamp down and impose some of these non-military measures, in an effort to get them to bend and accept a U.N. force, I think that's the first step."

Chip Andreae says there has been positive feedback to the advertisement from some members of the U.S. Congress, which he hopes will translate into constructive²³ action against the Sudan government.

1 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。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 retaliated   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• When he once teased her for her inexperience, she retaliated. 有一次，他讥讽她没有经验，她便反唇相讥。 来自辞典例句
• The terrorists retaliated by killing three policemen. 恐怖分子以杀死三名警察相报复。 来自辞典例句

6 unleashing   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Company logos: making people's life better by unleashing Cummins power. 公司理念：以康明斯动力建设更美好的生活！ 来自互联网
• Sooner or later the dam will burst, unleashing catastrophic destruction. 否则堤坝将崩溃，酿成灾难。 来自互联网

7 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

8 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

11 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

12 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

13 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。

14 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

15 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

16 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

17 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

18 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

19 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

20 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

21 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

22 incessantly   

ad.不停地

参考例句：

• The machines roar incessantly during the hours of daylight. 机器在白天隆隆地响个不停。
• It rained incessantly for the whole two weeks. 雨不间断地下了整整两个星期。

23 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。