VOA常速英语2008年-President Bush Says US Will Work to Prevent Vio

By Scott Stearns
Washington
17 February 2008

President Bush says he will work with allies to ensure there is no violence surrounding Kosovo's expected declaration of independence from Serbia. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports the move has angered Serbia and its ally Russia, which says independence for Kosovo will set a dangerous precedent¹ for other separatist groups.

President Bush says the United States will continue to work with its allies to do the very best it can to make sure there is no violence surrounding Kosovo's decision.

At a news conference in Tanzania, Mr. Bush was asked if he supports independence for Kosovo. The president did not answer the question directly, saying instead that the future of the province is central to regional security.

"Our position is that its status must be resolved for the Balkans to be stable," he said.

Serbia opposes independence for the predominantly ethnic² Albanian province and says it will use every political measure possible to prevent recognition of Kosovo's independence.

Serbia says it will protect ethnic minority Serbs who remain in Kosovo. President Bush says he is hopeful that Kosovo's decision will not lead to further violence.

"We are heartened by the fact the Kosovo government has clearly proclaimed its willingness and its desire to support Serbian rights in Kosovo," continued president Bush. "We also believe it is in Serbia's interest to be aligned³ with Europe, and the Serbian people can know they have a friend in America."

Serbia is protesting the European Union's decision to send an 1,800-member police and administrative⁴ mission to Kosovo.

That force replaces a United Nations team that entered Kosovo following a Serbian crackdown on ethnic-Albanian separatists. That violence sparked a NATO bombing campaign against the Serbian military in 1999.

1 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

4 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。