2007年VOA标准英语-US Senate Renews Import Sanctions on Burma

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
25 July 2007

The U.S. Senate voted 93 to one to extend import sanctions on Burma for another year, citing that country's suppression of human rights and political dissent¹. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Aung San Suu Kyi (May 2002)

The import sanctions are aimed at sending a message to Burma, where the military regime, known as the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, refuses to hand over power to a government elected in 1990, and where democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains² under house arrest.

"These sanctions will continue to show the SPDC that the United States stands squarely with the long-suffering people of Burma and against this brutal³ regime," said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the top Republican in the Senate and a chief sponsor of the measure.

"We will not remain silent," said Senator Diane Feinstein, a California Democrat⁴ and a co-sponsor. "We will not remain still until Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners are released, and democratic government is restored in Burma."

Feinstein said some 1,300 political prisoners remain in Burmese jails. She highlighted other aspects of the country's poor human rights record.

"The practice of rape⁵ as a form of repression⁶ has been sanctioned by the Burmese military," she said. "Use of forced labor⁷ is widespread. Human trafficking is rampant⁸."

The sanctions bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives Monday, now goes to President Bush for his expected signature.

Import sanctions were first imposed on Burma under a 2003 law.

The United States also imposes an arms embargo⁹ against Burma, along with restrictions¹⁰ on exports and financial transactions.

1 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

5 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

6 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

9 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制