VOA标准英语10月-EU Warns Mauritania of Measures if Law is Not Res

The European Union has given the West African country of Mauritania a month to restore constitutional order or face unspecified "measures." Lisa Bryant has more from Paris where members of the Mauritanian junta¹ met with E.U. officials on Monday.

An E.U. statement issued after the meeting between members of Mauritania's military government and European officials said that if there were not so-called "new elements" within a month regarding Mauritania, talks will end and appropriate measures will be proposed. The statement did not say what kind of measures they would be.
　

Supporters of ousted2 president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi during an anti-coup3 demonstration4 in Nouakchott, 7 Oct, 2008

But the European Union sharply criticized the August coup in Mauritania that toppled the country's democratically elected president. The talks in Paris were aimed at restoring constitutional order. But so far, the military shows no signs of doing so.

Mauritanian opposition⁵ politicians have urged the European Union to take a tough line against the junta, and this is apparently⁶ what they did Monday.

The European Union is hardly the only critic of the military coup. The African Union suspended Mauritania shortly after the coup, as did the Paris-based international francophonie organization.

The francophonie organization's president, Abdou Diouf - the former president of Senegal - described Mauritania's suspension as an extreme measure. He said it would only be lifted once conditions for democracy were fulfilled.

Mauritania's military leaders announced Sunday that some civilians⁷ could meet deposed⁸ Mauritanian president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, in what some reportedly interpret as a gesture toward eventually freeing him.

1 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 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。

8 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》