VOA标准英语2008年-US Vice President Condemns Russia's Unilateral

U.S. Vice¹ President Dick Cheney has condemned² Russia's military operation in Georgia as an illegitimate and unilateral attempt to change the country's borders by force. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports.

Speaking at a news conference in Tbilisi with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Vice President Cheney said Russian actions in Georgia "cast grave doubt on Russia's intentions and on its reliability³ as an international partner, not just in Georgia, but across this region and indeed throughout the international system."

Mr. Cheney added that America will work with the governments of Georgia and other allies to protect common U.S.-Georgian interests and values.

"After your nation won its freedom in the Rose Revolution, America came to the aid of this courageous⁴ young democracy," he said. "We are doing so again as you work to overcome an invasion of your sovereign territory, and an illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country's borders by force that has been universally condemned by the free world."

Mr. Cheney visited Tbilisi for a show of support following Georgia's recent conflict with Russia, whose forces pushed into the Caucasus nation after Georgian forces launched an offensive against the breakaway South Ossetia region. The vice-president's visit follows a U.S. pledge of one-billion dollars in assistance to help Georgia rebuild housing, transportation and other infrastructure⁵ destroyed in its conflict with Russia last month. U.S. officials say the aid package does not include any military assistance.

Mr. Cheney met Wednesday in Baku with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, saying the United States has a deep and abiding⁶ interest in the security of the Caucasus. His trip includes a visit to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers of six former Soviet⁷ republics allied⁸ in the Collective Security Treaty Organization issued a statement in Moscow expressing concern over Georgia's use of military force in South Ossetia. While the CSTO, backed Russia's role in the Georgian conflict, the organization's member states did not follow Moscow's lead in recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The CSTO member states are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

To date, only Nicaragua has extended such recognition. Nonetheless, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is pleased with the CSTO statement.

The senior Russian diplomat⁹ says the document places all of the right accents, including the unacceptability of military force by Georgia, on finding ways to prevent renewed use of force, and an assessment¹⁰ of everything going on around South Ossetia.

Georgian President Saakashvili, speaking with Mr. Cheney at his side, said his country is committed to a peaceful resolution of all issues and is committed to dialogue with all domestic forces as well as any nations in the neighborhood and worldwide.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

4 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

7 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

8 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

9 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

10 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？