2006年VOA标准英语-House Lawmakers Seek Sufficient US Funding

By Dan Robinson
Washington
02 March 2006

Members of Congress who recently visited Sudan's western Darfur region say they are attempting to ensure that sufficient funds are included in spending legislation to help sustain and hopefully expand African Union peackeeping.

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Some of the lawmakers who visited Darfur as part of a fact-finding tour of Africa met Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol with members of the Save Darfur Coalition¹, an alliance of faith-based, human rights, humanitarian² and student groups.

 

 
Nancy Pelosi, addresses media with US Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, left, and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in Detroit, February 27, 2006
  

"We visited the Sudan and spent time in the Darfur region of that country. We saw first-hand the suffering, the displacement³, the consequences of violence that has been exacted by the Sudanese government on its own people," said Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.

James Clyburn, a Democratic congressman⁵ from South Carolina, says while Sudanese government officials the congressional delegation⁶ met objected to any need for a United Nations or NATO force, everyone else the lawmakers met with on their trip supported it.

"Everybody else we met with thought this ought to be done, that the U.N. or NATO should be there to support the African Union and that we ought to seek to at least double the African Union forces in the area," he said.

Last year, $50 million that would have helped support African Union peacekeeping in coming months was dropped from final congressional legislation.

Congresswoman Pelosi described that as disappointing, adding that lawmakers hope increased visibility given to the Darfur situation will help restore funds in upcoming legislation.

As part of efforts to resolve the Darfur situation, Congressman Donald Payne, a key Democrat⁴ on the House Africa Subcommittee, says Sudanese government officials responsible for ordering killings⁸ there need to be held accountable.

"In addition to having boots on the ground, people who are responsible for genocide have to be brought before an international criminal court, and have to be tried, or you will be having troops on the ground forever," he said.

David Rubenstein, coordinator⁹ of the Save Darfur Coalition, says activism on Darfur continues to gain momentum¹⁰.

"The people who are going to end genocide have to do it by speaking out, and by letting America know how important it is to end the suffering and violence in Darfur," he said.

"We in this year [need to] stand up, speak out clearly, get the necessary funds for peackeeping in Sudan, to stop the rape¹¹, to stop the violence, to stop the death," added Reverend Bob Edgar, a former member of Congress, now involved in efforts to focus attention on the Darfur situation.

President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and other U.S. officials have issued strong statements in recent months regarding what the United States has formally described as genocide in Darfur.

Congressman Payne says still more needs to be done, calling it disgraceful that sufficient funds for peackeeping cannot be found at a time when billions are being spent on defense¹², and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Groups campaigning to stop killing⁷ in Darfur plan a Rally to Stop Genocide on April 30, which will include prominent religious and political leaders and human rights activists¹³, as well as survivors¹⁴ of the Holocaust¹⁵, and genocide from Darfur, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Kosovo.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

4 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 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。

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

15 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。