voa标准英语2008年-AU Security Chief Urges Somali Elders to Call O

Africa's top peace and security official is appealing to Somalia's elders to use their influence to stop the piracy¹ that threatens commercial traffic through the strategic Gulf² of Aden. From African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, VOA's Peter Heinlein reports African and European officials have signed a deal to provide the AU with a military capability³ that would allow it to intervene in continental⁴ conflicts and crises.

AU Peace and Security Commissioner⁵ Ramtane Lamamra Friday called on the leaders of Somali society to persuade pirates operating off the coast of the Horn of Africa to stop hijacking⁷ ships for ransom⁸. His appeal came as a Saudi vessel⁹ carrying $100 million in crude oil is anchored off the Somali coast in what is being called the world's biggest hijack⁶.

Somali pirates aboard the vessel are said to be demanding a $25 million ransom for release of the ship and its international crew.
　

Jean Ping (file photo)

AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping has called the surge of Somali piracy an extension of the anarchy¹⁰ and political chaos¹¹ gripping the country. Lamamra told VOA it is up to Somali political and clan¹² leaders to put a stop to it.

"We call on all Somalis with influence on the pirates to help us curb¹³ this phenomenon," he said. "We believe that this is damaging to the Somali prospects¹⁴ for peace and cooperation and we think that all those who could have a positive influence under their solidarities¹⁵ that exist within Somali society should come in and tell these pirates that this is wrong. They have to stop it and stop it now."

Lamamra was speaking at a ceremony where African Union and European Union officials signed a $300 million agreement that will lead to establishment of a permanent African standby force. The five-brigade military force will be operational within 18 months, giving the African Union the ability to respond rapidly to continental hot spots.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner signed for Europe, since France holds the rotating EU presidency¹⁶. He told reporters the force is designed as a deterrent¹⁷. But when asked about the action by an Indian navy ship to sink a pirate vessel this week off the Somali coast, he suggested such actions are acceptable.
　

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner

"The Indian vessel defended itself, which is quite normal and according to international law," he explained. "And yesterday a Saudi big tanker¹⁸ has been attacked, and the Saudi authorities, decided¹⁹, so... So we want to act as deterrents²⁰, but you know they are heavily armed, heavily equipped with speedboats, etc., etc."

Kouchner said in the meantime, a European Union naval²¹ task force would join the U.S. Russian and Indian ships that have been dispatched to the Somali coast to keep shipping²² lanes open.

"So for the time being seven nations regrouped in a British harbor, the port of Northwood, are ready to work together," he added. "There is a strong effort between European Union defense²³ and African defense, and locally, a large portion of the world, the navy ships would defend the cargo²⁴, the usual traffic for goods impossible to pass by without being threatened by attacks."

Kouchner says the European ships would reach the Gulf of Aden sometime in December.

A communiqué issued Friday after an EU/AU leadership meeting also urged the United Nations to play a role in bringing stability to Somalia. In unusually pointed²⁵ language, the statement said the two continental groupings 'await with interest' the U.N. Security Council plan for establishment of a multi-national stabilization²⁶ force that could reinforce the beleaguered²⁷ 3,400-strong African Union peacekeeping force currently in Somalia.

The Security Council has been reluctant to send a peacekeeping force to Somalia, with some diplomats²⁸ arguing there is no peace to keep.

Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991, when warlords toppled a military dictator. The current U.N.-backed transitional government, formed in 2004, has been unable to protect the population while battling a powerful Islamist insurgency²⁹.

1 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

4 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 hijack   

v.劫持，劫机，拦路抢劫

参考例句：

• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
• The hijack take place just after the plane take off.劫持是飞机刚起飞后发生的。

7 hijacking   

n. 劫持, 抢劫 动词hijack的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I have been told about the hijacking . 我已听说了那次劫机事件。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• They are taking measures to guarantee against the occurrence of hijacking. 他们正采取措施防止劫机事件的发生。

8 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

9 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

10 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

11 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

12 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

13 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

14 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

15 solidarities   

团结( solidarity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

16 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

17 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

18 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

19 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

20 deterrents   

制止物( deterrent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Whereas attractants, repellents, and many incitants are olfactory substances, stimulants, and deterrents are usually gustatory. 引诱剂，排斥剂还是其他的兴奋剂都是嗅觉物质，但刺激剂和阻抑剂常常是味觉物质。
• A lack of empathy for and knowledge of foreign business practices are deterrents to one's success. 投入不够以及对对外商业惯例知识的不足会对一个人成功造成很大的威胁。

21 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

22 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

23 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

24 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

25 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

26 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

27 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网