2007年VOA标准英语-Unions in Guinea Prepare for Meetings to End St

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
15 February 2007

Some union leaders in Guinea are preparing for a new round of talks with the government to end a crippling strike, but others say martial¹ law must first be lifted. More than 100 people have been killed since an anti-government strike began in January. Naomi Schwarz reports from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.

 
Ibrahima Fofana (c), Secretary General of the Union of Guinean workers (USTG) leaves the People's Palace with supporters after negotiations² in Conakry, 27 Jan 2007
Some union leaders are refusing to renew negotiations with the government, until it lifts the martial law that was imposed on Monday.

But other union leaders say they are ready to negotiate.

Yamadou Touré, a leader of the National Organization of Guinean Trade Unions, says the more than 400 unions need to decide together what demands to put to the government.

He also says he is optimistic a deal can be reached.

Radiatou Diallo, another union leader at the National Confederation of Guinean Workers, and the main leader when the strikes began, agreed to come to talks, but said she would not stay, if the head of the military is not present.

 
Alpha Oumar Konaré (Aug 2006)
Alpha Oumar Konaré, chief executive of the African Union, has written to Guinean President Lansana Conté condemning³ what he calls "the disproportionate violence against Guinea's civilian⁴ population," that led to many deaths.

Reports say there have been abuses by military forces and President Lansana Conté's guards, as well as looting and violence by civilians⁵.

Gilles Yabi, an analyst⁶ with the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, says the African Union president has been an important voice condemning the violence since the beginning. But, he says, the international community needs to intervene more directly.

"We need an international mediator⁷ to engage directly with President Conté and the head of the military," he said. "I think, without heavy pressure from the African Union, but also a call to the leaders in Guinea to restrain and to go back to a political settlement, it is difficult to see a way out of the crisis."

However, aside from a visit by Guinea-Bissau's president, Mr. Conte has refused all other mediation⁸ attempts.

 
Protesters march during a demonstration⁹, part of a general strike in Conakry, 22 Jan 2007
The nation-wide strike began on January 10 as union leaders and the Guinean public called for a new government following a corruption¹⁰ scandal. Mr. Conté, who came to power in a 1984 coup¹¹, is seriously ill and the union leaders said he was unable to lead the country out of its deteriorating¹² economic situation.

The strike was suspended after nearly three weeks, when Mr. Conté agreed to union leaders' demands to appoint a consensus¹³ prime minister, and to give him wide-ranging reform powers.

Violence erupted, and the strike resumed on February 9, when Mr. Conté nominated Eugene Camara, a former prime minister and staunch supporter of the president, who, opponents said, could not be independent.

1 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

8 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

9 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

10 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

11 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

12 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

13 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？