2006年VOA标准英语-Nepal Grapples With Issue of Rebel Disarmament

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
22 June 2006

In Nepal, a recent power sharing deal between Maoist rebels and the government has been hailed as a milestone¹ in ending a decade-long communist rebellion that has devastated² the country. 

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Leader of Nepal's communist rebels Prachanda, second left, and leaders of political parties, in Katmandu, June 16, 2006  
  
Across Nepal, there is widespread euphoria that an agreement between the government and Maoist rebels to establish an interim³ administration has put peace within the grasp of a country wracked by a deadly insurgency⁴.

The agreement will sweep away the present parliament, the country's 16-year-old constitution and the current multi-party government. It will also get rid of parallel governments that the Maoists operate in the countryside.

The new administration will oversee⁵ elections to a body that will draw up a new constitution. It is to be established within a month.

But before the power-sharing deal comes into effect, the government says it has to settle the issue of what will happen to armed Maoist cadres and their weapons.

S.D. Muni, a former professor of South Asia Studies in New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, says the issue is complex.

"The Maoists cannot keep their arms while they are a part of the government, or part of the system," he said. "There cannot be two states existing in Nepal, and that is going to task both the Maoists and the political parties in a very big way."

The Maoists have refused to disarm⁶, but say they are willing to put their weapons and their cadres under United Nations supervision⁷. They have proposed that both rebel forces and the army be confined to barracks or camps under U.N. monitoring until elections are held. And they have suggested that ultimately the government and rebel armies can be reorganized.

But several political analysts⁹ and diplomats¹⁰ have questioned how the country can hold elections until the weapons are taken out of rebel hands. They point out that the Maoists are still feared in the countryside, where they hold sway, and complaints of intimidation¹¹ and extortion by the rebels have not ended.

The Maoists assure the government that they will accept the election results even if people reject the republic the rebels are fighting for.

Many analysts say the rebels will have to be trusted if Nepal is to seize the chance of peace. The South Asian analyst⁸, Muni, says the Maoists do appear to be serious about abandoning violence.

"There is hope that the Maoists, if they really want to be mainstreamed will have to follow the road map in which they are a party," he said. "It is not a sudden change of heart, the real fact is that they have realized over the years that they cannot take power through military means".

Nepal's political parties and the rebels reached out to each other last year when they worked together to force King Gyanendra to end his direct rule.

In April, the king allowed the civilian¹² government to return and he has since been stripped of most of his powers. The rebels say they want to end the monarchy altogether, although political parties say a ceremonial monarchy can remain

1 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

2 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

3 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

4 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

5 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

6 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

7 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

12 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。