VOA标准英语2008年-Regional Integration, Disaster Relief, Security

Foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations - ASEAN - are meeting in Singapore this week to discuss a range of issues, including progress toward ratifying¹ a charter promoting regional integration². Ron Corben has details from VOA's South East Asia bureau.

ASEAN members agreed on the creation of a charter late last year. Among other things, it commits Southeast Asian nations to notions of democracy and human rights. It also sets out common rules for negotiations³ in trade, investment, environment and other fields, and aims to turn the region into a free trade zone by 2015.
　
George Yeo, Singapore's foreign minister representing ASEAN, speaks at the ASEAN International Pledging Conference on Cyclone⁴ Nargis (File)

Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo says Burma recently approved the charter and will likely formally announce its decision when regional foreign ministers meet Sunday. Only Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have not ratified⁵ the agreement.

Carl Thayer, a regional security specialist at the Australian National University, says the charter will be a key item on the foreign ministers' agenda.

"The foreign ministers are meeting at a time where they know they are working towards a summit where the real decisions are made by the heads of government and for the ASEAN charter to pass. So one of their major concerns will be to get progress reports on the four or five states yet to do so; Indonesia, the Philippines, being two notable ones," said Thayer.

Observers say the Philippine Senate could block ratification⁷ of the charter unless Burma's military releases the country's opposition⁸ leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest.

Singapore, which currently leads the regional bloc⁶, says it is confident the charter will be ratified by the end of the year.

ASEAN foreign ministers are also expected to discuss disaster relief and management following the devastating⁹ cyclone and earthquake that struck Burma and China, respectively, in May.

ASEAN played a key role in brokering¹⁰ an agreement between Burma and the United Nations in a bid to speed up relief efforts.

Burma was criticized by the West and human rights groups for restricting access to the hardest hit areas and for refusing direct aid.

Carl Thayer, regional security analyst¹¹ at the Australian National University, says ASEAN is likely to stand by its response and the agreement with the United Nations and Burma.

"ASEAN will have to be able to defend its record in providing humanitarian¹² assistance to Burma after cyclone Nargis against Western charges that the Burmese government was late and responsible for an awful lot - they have to put a gloss¹³ on that in particular," he said.

The ASEAN foreign ministers are preparing to welcome North Korea as a regional partner when Pyongyang signs a Treaty of Amity¹⁴ and Cooperation, seen as a significant symbolic¹⁵ step by ASEAN as a forum¹⁶ for dialogue on regional security issues.

ASEAN will also be looking at possible solutions to rising oil and food prices amid warnings inflation could threaten political stability.

　

 

1 ratifying   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They call their State Assembly a disgrace for ratifying the 35th. 他们把州议会通过的第35号修正案说成是可耻的行为。 来自辞典例句
• The Obama administration, unlike its predecessor, talks of ratifying the test-ban treaty. 该会议五年举办一次，回顾其间发生的事情。 来自互联网

2 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

5 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

6 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

7 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

8 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。

9 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

10 brokering   

v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的现在分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• Intertwined with these were rivalry, power brokering, and patronage. 然而也不乏有抗争、强权操纵与任命特权交织其中。 来自互联网
• Kingston Quest Can Assist Your Company In Negotiations, Brokering, Agency Services, Sourcing Factories Or Property. 金士顿追求，可帮助您的公司在谈判中，经纪，代理服务，货源工厂或财产。 来自互联网

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

13 gloss   

n.光泽，光滑；虚饰；注释；vt.加光泽于；掩饰

参考例句：

• John tried in vain to gloss over his faults.约翰极力想掩饰自己的缺点，但是没有用。
• She rubbed up the silver plates to a high gloss.她把银盘擦得很亮。

14 amity   

n.友好关系

参考例句：

• He lives in amity with his neighbours.他和他的邻居相处得很和睦。
• They parted in amity.他们很友好地分别了。

15 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。

16 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。