2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Urges Further Military Reforms in Ind

By David Gollust
Jakarta
15 March 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures during a speech to a group of Indonesian students, parliamentarians and businessmen Wednesday March 15, 2006 in Jakarta  
  
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, completing a two day visit to Indonesia, has urged the Jakarta government to press ahead with reforms that prompted the Bush administration to resume military aid to that country last year. The Secretary continues her overseas mission later Wednesday in Australia.

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The administration decision, aimed at rewarding Indonesia for efforts against regional terrorism and strides in building democracy, has been attacked by human rights groups as having been premature¹.

In a policy address to the Indonesia World Affairs Council, the Secretary made clear the United States looks to further reforms by the Indonesian military to completely erase² the stigma³ created by its 1990's human rights violations⁴ in East Timor.

"The United States has now resumed military ties with Indonesia, as this nation has chosen a democratic path. We look for continued progress toward greater accountability and complete reform in the military sphere," said Rice. "A reformed and affective Indonesian military is in the interest of every one in this region, because threats to our common security have not disappeared.

As she did in appearances here Tuesday, the Secretary held up Indonesia, the world's largest majority-Muslim country, as an example of political moderation and diversity for the rest of the world.

She praised the island nation, home to hundreds of different ethnicities and cultures, for shaking off the legacy⁵ of autocratic rule and withstanding what she called the horrific trial of the tsunami⁶ disaster at the end of 2004.

And she hailed last year's peace accord between the government and separatist rebels in Aceh, saying the Indonesian people had transformed an unspeakable tragedy in the region of northern Sumatra into a triumph for peace.

Secretary Rice said the United States stands ready to assist Indonesia, as it did with massive aid following the tsunami, in efforts to deal with the threats of avian influenza⁷, maritime⁸ piracy⁹, and to continue the fight against regional Islamic terrorist groups like Abu Sayyef and Jemaah Islamiyah.

Such groups, she said, want to destroy the region's dynamism and traditions of tolerance¹⁰ and to turn Southeast Asia into a ring of fire. She said terrorists have killed hundreds of innocent Indonesians, many of whom were Muslims, and must be dealt with.

"This region knows that terrorists must be actively¹¹ confronted, and the United States is helping¹² in that flight. We are working alongside countries like Malaysia and Singapore, and to build the capacity of others, like the Philippines, who have the will to fight terrorism but need help with the means. Indonesia is bringing terrorists to justice," Rice explained. "And these actions are empowering people across this region who possess the most enduring force of all, the force of tolerance. Muslim citizens in Southeast Asia are uniting Islamic traditions with democratic principles, and advancing the hope for peace in this region."

Rice said despite progress in Indonesia and several of its neighbors, democracy in the region still faces what she termed determined¹³ opponents, notably¹⁴ the military junta¹⁵ in Burma, which she said has held the Burmese peoples democratic aspirations¹⁶, along with their most eloquent¹⁷ leader Aung San Suu Kyi, captive for some 15 years.

"A country that was once the jewel of Southeast Asia is now out of step with the entire modern experience of its region. A once thriving economy has collapsed¹⁸. Universities that once attracted the best Asian minds are locked shut," she said. "The Burmese regime is now literally¹⁹ retreating into the depths of the country, closing its people off from the world and robbing them of their future."

The Secretary ends her globe-circling overseas trip in Australia, where she will meet Prime Minister John Howard and other government officials and take part in a trilaleral U.S.-Australia-Japan security dialogue.

1 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

2 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

3 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

4 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

7 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

8 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

9 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

10 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

11 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

12 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

14 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

15 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

16 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

17 eloquent   

adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的

参考例句：

• He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。
• These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。

18 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

19 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。