2006年VOA标准英语-Ban Ki-moon Sworn in as UN Secretary-General

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
14 December 2006

Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea has been sworn in as the eighth U.N. secretary-general of the United Nations. VOA's Peter Heinlein at the U.N. reports, Mr. Ban will take over the job when Kofi Annan steps down at the end of this month.

Ban Ki-moon

The grand U.N. General Assembly Hall witnessed one of those momentous¹ occasions that takes place only about once a decade. It was a passing of the torch from the seventh secretary-general, the Ghanaian, Kofi Annan, to the eighth, the South Korean Ban Ki-moon.

After a series of speeches, most of them paying tribute to Mr. Annan's leadership, the president of the General Assembly, Sheikha Haya Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, administered the oath of office.

"I, Ban Ki-moon, solemnly swear, to exercise in all loyalty², discretion³ and conscience, the functions entrusted⁴ to me as secretary-general of the United Nations," he said.

Mr. Ban placed his left hand on a copy of the U.N. Charter, as he swore to remain independent of all the world body's 192 member states.

"…and not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any government or other authority external to the organization," he said.

Moments later, speaking to the packed Assembly Hall, the 62-year-old former South Korean foreign minister hailed the leadership of outgoing Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and pledged to set high ethical⁵ standards for an organization that has been battered⁶ by scandals in recent years. He said he would demand the same from all of the world body's employees.

"The good name of the United Nations is one of its most valuable assets, but also one of the most vulnerable," said Ban Ki-moon. "The Charter calls on staff to uphold the highest levels of efficiency, competence⁷ and integrity, and I will seek to ensure we build a solid reputation for living up to that standard. I assure you I will lead by example."

Mr. Ban was careful to avoid criticizing Secretary-General Annan's leadership. But in a reference to the world body's flagging reputation, he called for member states to do better to restore public faith in the organization.

"As we pursue our collective endeavor to reach that goal, my first priority will be to restore trust," he noted⁸.

Speaking to reporters afterward⁹, he expressed hope that restoring trust would not eventually turn out to be what he called "Mission Impossible."

Mr. Ban was nominated by the Security Council in October, after a selection process that spanned several months. The choice was then unanimously ratified¹⁰ by the General Assembly, making Mr. Ban the first Asian secretary-general since U Thant of Burma, who completed his 10 years in office in 1971。

1 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

2 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

3 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

4 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

7 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

10 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。