2006年VOA标准英语-Two Wounded in Escalating East Timor Viole

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
23 May 2006

A wounded East Timorese soldier is treated in a hospital after a gunfight which killed one soldier and wounded seven others Tuesday, May 23, 2006  
  

Clashes between the military and former soldiers in East Timor have wounded two soldiers in the capital, Dili. Both Australia and New Zealand have offered to send troops to help quell¹ the escalating² violence.

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The shooting broke out less than a month after demonstrations³ by nearly 600 dismissed soldiers turned violent, leaving five people dead.

The former soldiers - about a third of the country's armed forces - were expelled from the military in March after deserting their barracks in February complaining of poor working conditions and discrimination. They say preferential treatment is given to soldiers from the eastern part of the country, where most of East Timor's independence fighters come from.

The sacked soldiers held weeks of demonstrations, which turned violent last month and caused thousands of people to flee the capital.

Government spokesman, Jose Guiterrez, says the disgruntled former soldiers do not want to solve the problem peacefully.

"They have been very, very aggressive despite the government trying peaceful means and also [to] create a commission to resolve their problems, but they do not want to deal with this commission, so what they want [is to solve it] through violent means," he said.

"We have made it clear that we are ready to offer assistance to East Timor if needed," said Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who has offered to send troops.

But Guiterrez told VOA News that the situation is under control and outside help is not yet needed.

"The government is still in control of all the situation in the country," he said. "It is not yet time to request intervention⁴ from other friendly countries."

Australia led a U.N. peacekeeping force to East Timor in 1999 in response to massive violence by pro-Jakarta militias⁵ after the region voted for independence from Indonesia. At least 1,000 people were killed and large parts of the country were laid to waste.

The recent violence is the worst since then.

The U.N. peacekeepers left the country a year ago, but a contingent⁶ of U.N. police, military advisors⁷, and administrators⁸ - which was scheduled to leave last week - has been extended for another month because of the violence.

1 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

2 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 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。

5 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

6 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

7 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

8 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城