2007年VOA标准英语-Opponents of Somalia's Transitional Government

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
13 July 2007

Opponents of Somalia's Western-backed transitional government have announced they will hold a conference in Eritrea in September to form a coalition¹ whose main objective is to end Ethiopia's occupation of Somalia. VOA correspondent Alisha Ryu in our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi reports the conference is also aimed at challenging the interim² government's contention³ that it enjoys the support of the majority of the Somali people.

A prominent Somali politician, Jama Ali Jama, tells VOA that the organizers of the September 1 conference in Asmara hope to draw as many people as possible from every corner of the globe.

Jama says the conference is being largely funded by donations from Somalis living overseas and by business owners from across Somalia who are eager to support any effort to bring lasting⁴ peace and security to the troubled country.

"The conference is intended to unite all Somali communities, individuals, who are against the occupation of their country and are ready to liberate⁵ their country. Anyone who is willing to support that mission is welcome from inside the country and abroad," he said.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf

Jama Ali Jama was elected president of Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland in 2001 and was overthrown⁶ six months later by the current Somali interim President Abdullahi Yusuf.

Jama is now one of nearly three dozen Somali parliamentarians, who make up one of the core Somali groups opposed to the government and its close political and military alliance with Somalia's traditional rival, Ethiopia.

In late December, Ethiopia led the massive military offensive that ended the six-month rule of Somalia's Islamic Courts Union and installed the interim government in Mogadishu.

In recent months, ousted⁷ Islamists and former parliament members have issued joint⁸ statements against Ethiopia and the interim government from their opposition⁹ base in the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

Eritrea is widely accused by the West of fighting a proxy¹⁰ war against its arch enemy, Ethiopia, by funding and facilitating activities to destabilize Somalia's interim government.

But Jama vigorously defends Eritrea's role, saying the government there is providing only political assistance to Somali opposition groups.

The announcement of the Asmara conference comes just three days ahead of the expected start of national reconciliation¹¹ talks in Mogadishu hosted by the interim government.

Analysts¹² say the timing¹³ of the opposition announcement is significant because the reconciliation meeting, aimed at ending Somalia's 16-year-old civil war, has been criticized by many Somalis as being nothing more than a get-together¹⁴ of clan-based supporters anxious to secure lucrative¹⁵ positions in government.

Western analysts say if the conference in Eritrea draws more people than the reconciliation talks in Mogadishu, that could embarrass the government, which has insisted that anti-government insurgents¹⁶ are small in number and lack popular support.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 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。

3 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

4 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

5 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

6 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

7 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 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。

10 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

11 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

12 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。

13 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。

14 get-together   

n.(使)聚集；(使)集合

参考例句：

• Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯，黄小姐，我们打算大家小聚一番。
• Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作？

15 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

16 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网