VOA标准英语10月-'Elders' Visit Cyprus to Support Talks Between Gr

A group of international statesmen being called "The Elders", including former U.S. president Jimmy Carter have arrived on the divided island of Cyprus to support U.N.-backed peace talks. For VOA, Nathan Morley reports from Nicosia.
　

From left: Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi in Nicosia, 08 Oct 2008

President Carter, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi are here to urge greater international recognition of recent progress towards a lasting¹ settlement in Cyprus.

On arrival, they lauded² Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat for their expressed commitment to end to the decades-old dispute.

Ambassador of Slovakia Anna Tourenikova, whose embassy is sponsoring the visit, told VOA News Slovakia has played an important role in keeping an open communication channel between the two communities during the past two decades.

"The process of bi-communal dialogue has lasted already almost 20 years," said Ambassador Tourenikova. "They are coming together, they are discussing issues of common interest, they are listening to each other, and thus they are trying to contribute to the negotiation³ process and find the solution of the Cyprus problem."

Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat started a new round of talks on September 3.

But in recent weeks reports the process has run into difficulties have been rife⁴. In an interview with VOA News, U.N. Spokesman Jose Dias admitted that initial optimism had cooled.

"There was a lot of optimism, a lot of enthusiasm, when the process was re-launched," he said. "I think people are now sitting down and more soberly assessing the situation. We are still cautiously optimistic, we have come along way since March when the leaders started meeting."

Jimmy Carter is no stranger to Cyprus politics; he was responsible for the United States playing part in the ABC Cyprus peace plan in 1978, which failed to produce results.

The 12-point plan, called the ABC plan because of its American, British, and Canadian sponsorship, proposed a bi-regional, independent federal republic.

Former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash told VOA that however symbolic⁵, President Carter's visit was welcome news for most Cypriots.

"Knowing his interest in human rights, his visit, though late, maybe useful if he comes with an open mind - he usually does," he said.

Cyprus was split in a 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a Greek-inspired coup⁶. Turkish Cypriots live in its north and Greek Cypriots in the south, and numerous attempts to reunite Cyprus have failed.

1 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。

2 lauded   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They lauded the former president as a hero. 他们颂扬前总统为英雄。 来自辞典例句
• The nervy feats of the mountaineers were lauded. 登山者有勇气的壮举受到赞美。 来自辞典例句

3 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

4 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

5 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

6 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。