VOA常速英语2007年-US Sending Envoy to Georgia to Discuss Emergenc

By David Gollust
Washington
10 November 2007

The United States is sending a senior diplomat¹ to Georgia to press for an immediate² end to the state of emergency imposed this week by President Mikhail Saakashvili. U.S. envoy³ Matthew Bryza will meet with figures in both the Georgian government and the political opposition⁴ over the next several days. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The dispatch of Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, underlines U.S. concern about the move to emergency rule in Georgia, which drew expressions of both surprise and disappointment in Washington.

President Saakashvili declared emergency powers Wednesday after clashes between security forces and opposition protestors in Tbilisi that injured several hundred people.

In a gesture to the opposition, the American-educated Georgian leader said Thursday he would move up a presidential election planned for late next year to January 5th and also hold a referendum on having an early parliamentary vote.

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack welcomed the election decisions, but expressed disappointment that there apparently⁵ will not be an early end to the state of emergency.

"We're quite disappointed by the actions that President Saakashvili took in imposing⁶ a state of emergency. We're disappointed by the fact that the parliament voted to ratify⁷ his decision to extend it to 15 days, vice⁸ two days. Our clear message is that the state of emergency should be lifted immediately, that the government should follow-through on its promises and its decision to hold elections, as well as to hold a dialogue on the prospect⁹ of parliamentary elections," he said.

McCormack said Bryza, the State Department's policy chief for the Caucuses¹⁰ region, will press Georgian authorities to lift emergency curbs¹¹ on the media, and to engage in a serious discussion with the opposition on ways to strengthen the country's democratic institutions.

The United States has forged close ties with President Saakashvili since he came to power in the former Soviet¹² republic in 2003 after mass protests against his predecessor¹³ Eduard Shevardnadze.

It has backed the Saakashvili government in political skirmishes with Moscow over the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where Russia retains heavy influence.

But Mr. Saakasvili's rigid¹⁴ governing style has drawn¹⁵ wide criticism from abroad, and Western governments and human rights groups have said the use of force in quelling¹⁶ this week's protests was disproportionate.

Spokesman McCormack suggested Friday the emergency crackdown could undermine the Georgian government's aspirations¹⁷ to join NATO, noting that alliance decisions are made by consensus¹⁸ and that a record of democratic governance is a key condition for a would-be member state.

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

7 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

10 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

11 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

12 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

13 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

14 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

15 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

16 quelling   

v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Quelling her grief, she said 'Good-bye! 'again and went on. 她把悲痛压下去，二番说了一声再见，又转身走去了。 来自辞典例句
• The police succeeded in quelling the riot. 警方把暴乱镇压了下去。 来自辞典例句

17 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。

18 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？