2007年VOA标准英语-Cambodian PM Expresses Support for Khmer Rouge

By Catherine Makino
Tokyo
14 June 2007

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has welcomed the upcoming trial of surviving Khmer Rouge¹ leaders, after Cambodian and international judges agreed on procedural rules that will allow the trial process to begin.  Human rights activists² have previously³ accused the Hun Sen government of placing obstacles in the way of the tribunal.  Catherine Makino reports from Tokyo, where Hun Sen is on a visit to seek increased investment in Cambodia.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks during a press conference in Tokyo Thursday, 14 June 2007

The Cambodian prime minister told reporters his government and the people of Cambodia fully⁴ support the long-awaited trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders.

"We always asked countries to start the trial as soon as possible, because Cambodia will not have a bright future unless the problem is resolved and they are punished," he said.  "This is what all of the people of Cambodia have been hoping for."

More than 1.7 million Cambodians died under Khmer Rouge rule between 1975 and 1979.  Pol Pot, the top leader of the ultra-radical Maoist group, died in 1998, but several of Pol Pot's associates are still living freely in the country.

Hun Sen was a junior-level Khmer Rouge soldier himself, and human rights activists have charged that he and his government have worked behind the scenes to prevent the tribunal from starting its work.  Hun Sen has said the proceedings⁵ could cause panic among Khmer Rouge supporters who still live in Cambodia, and reignite the civil war that ravaged⁶ the country from 1980s into the 1990s.

He has also said the country could not afford the U.N.-sponsored tribunal, although Japan later stepped in with the needed funds.

On Wednesday, agreement was reached on procedures for the trials after extended negotiations⁷ between domestic and international judges and lawyers. 

The prime minister was unequivocal in his support for the tribunal.

"The Khmer Rouge have to be taken to task for what they did, and we will watch how the international community will have the Khmer Rouge leaders take responsibility for having inflicted⁸ these atrocities," he added.

The main purpose of Hun Sen's four-day visit to Japan is to seek investment and tourists.  Cambodia's infrastructure⁹ is in tatters after decades of civil war and neglect.

Japan pledged more than $100 million at a donor¹⁰'s meeting last year, and has been Cambodia's largest donor for years.  But Tokyo lags behinds other countries in investment and trade with the Southeast Asian nation.

In his public comments, Hun Sen repeated pledges to reduce corruption¹¹, which has been one obstacle to increased investment.

1 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

6 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

7 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。

8 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

11 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。