VOA标准英语2008年-Turkish President in Armenia on Historic Trip

The Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in the Armenian capital Yerevan, the first time a Turkish head of state has visited the country. Mr. Gul was there to attend a soccer match he said could help end almost a century of mutual¹ hostility² and aid security in the broader Caucasus region. For VOA, Dorian Jones has this report from Istanbul.
　
Turkish President Abdullah Gul (L) and Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan shake hands during their meeting in Yerevan, 06 Sep 2008

Turkish President Abdullah Gul's jet arrived in Armenia on this historical visit escorted by attack helicopters. Police and demonstrators lined the traffic-free streets as his motorcade sped through downtown Yerevan.

Ankara and Yerevan have no diplomatic ties but a relationship haunted by the question of whether ethnic³ Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks during World War One were victims of systematic⁴ genocide.

The director of Armenia's National Genocide Museum, Hayk Demoyan, hailed Mr. Gul's visit, saying this could be a positive step in talking about the issue of genocide.

"Armenians fighting for genocide recognition and for restoring the rights of the survivors⁵ and descendants of the survivors is just part of the global movement of prevention. So this is not anti-Turkish or something against Turkish people," said Demoyan. "We also realize that there a lot of problems in public memory and national memory of Turkey and Turkish people. That's why this is a matter of two people. We have to talk, we have to agree, we have to negotiate."

But the controversy⁶ continues to fuel nationalist anger in both countries.

President Gul was strongly criticized for agreeing to visit Armenia by both the main Turkish opposition⁷ parties, who accused him of betraying Turkey and its close ally Azerbaijan. Armenia is occupying a region of Azerbaijani territory, which has resulted in Turkey enforcing a trade embargo⁸ against Armenia since 1993, crippling the Armenian economy.

In Yerevan, reaction to Mr. Gul's visit is mixed.

This man says Mr. Gul's visit is of no importance. He says his team will win in any case. He says he would like Mr. Gul to leave Armenia in a bad mood, but only because his team has lost the game.

Another man has a more positive view.

He says he thinks that the meeting of the two presidents will discuss problems which may help to normalize the Armenian-Turkish relationship.

Turkish diplomatic sources have played down any expectations of a breakthrough in bilateral⁹ relations. But experts say if Mr. Gul's visit passes off smoothly¹⁰, it's real success can be that it will open the door to future dialogue.

 

1 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

2 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

3 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。

4 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 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。

8 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

9 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

10 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。