2007年VOA标准英语-UN Assesses Return of Peacekeepers to Chad, CAR

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
22 January 2007

A U.N. team has arrived in Chad to start its two-week peacekeeping assessment¹ in Chad and the Central African Republic. The mission follows calls for increased security for the hundreds of thousands of refugees and civilians² affected³ by fighting from Sudan's Darfur region and national rebel movements. Phuong Tran reports from VOA's Central and West African bureau in Dakar.

 
Two months after U.N. officials said that the border along Sudan's Darfur region was too risky⁴ for U.N. peacekeepers, a second assessment team is reconsidering peacekeeping operations in the region.

Adrien Feniou, regional analyst⁵ with London-based Global Insight, is not optimistic that this assessment will lead to a peacekeeping troop deployment⁷, and says he is surprised by the mission's timing⁸.

"There are no new developments since the last tactical mission," he said. "The rebels are still operating in the area, there are still 300,000 refugees in Chad, and the security conditions are still as bad as they [were] then."

Renewed rebel activity last week in both the Central African Republic, or CAR, and Chad followed a month lull⁹ in both countries.

Given the continued hostilities¹⁰, Feniou says the U.N.'s assessment is more an exercise in diplomacy¹¹ than in laying the groundwork for a peacekeeping mission.

He said, "I think it is a mission being sent by the new U.N. Secretary-General [Ban Ki -moon] to bolster¹² his position and commitment on the situation in Darfur and resolving regional stability."

A U.N. Security Council statement preceding the team's visit said it would seriously consider plans for deployment.

 
Chadians of non-Arab origin flee conflict in east, near Goz-Beida, near border with Sudan, Nov. 10, 2006 
Relief workers say that security and health conditions are worsening in the often lawless border area prone¹³ to inter-ethnic conflicts, looting, and cross-border attacks from militia¹⁴ known as Janjaweed fighters.

A spokeswoman with the U.N. refugee agency, U.N.H.C.R., Helene Caux, says that the very fact the region is unstable¹⁵ should not discourage peacekeeping, but rather justify¹⁶ it.

"The presence should come sooner than later," she said. "There will never be a perfect situation to deploy⁶ an international presence. It is better to do it now than [when it becomes] too late."

Due to security concerns, international humanitarian¹⁷ agencies have scaled back operations, pulling out most staff. Caux says refugees have been trained to run their own camps because of the cutback in U.N. staff.

"The situation is getting worse and worse, and there is no sign at this point that it is going to improve, so such a presence would be quite crucial for the security of the refugees, of the displaced persons and of the humanitarian workers," said Caux.

Government officials in Sudan say they do not object if the U.N. sends peacekeepers to Chad, provided none enter Sudan.

The governments of Chad and Sudan accuse one another of supporting each other's rebels, though both sides deny the charges.

The peacekeeping assessment team is expected to present its findings mid-February to the new U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

5 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。

6 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

7 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

8 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

9 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

10 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

11 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

12 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

13 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

14 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

15 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

16 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

17 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。