VOA标准英语2009年-Former UN Chief Pressures Kenya on Reforms

By Alan Boswell
Nairobi
05 October 2009
Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan met with Kenya's president and prime minister Monday to urge their coalition¹ government to hasten the pace of reforms in the country. Annan served as chief mediator² in the emergency talks that produced the government's power-sharing deal at the beginning of 2008.

 
Former UN Sec. general Kofi Annan(R) leaves the offices of Kenyan Pres. Mwai Kibaki (unseen) in Nairobi on 05 Oct 2009
The former U.N. chief arrived in Kenya on Sunday and began Monday what he said would be a packed three-day push to pressure the government to fully³ implement⁴ the reform agenda he helped negotiate to curtail⁵ the nation's ethnic⁶ hostilities⁷.

Addressing reporters outside his hotel in Nairobi late Sunday, Annan said that Kenyan people are losing patience with the lack of tangible⁸ action from their leaders, a full 18 months after the reform agenda was first agreed upon.

"Of course I've been following events very closely, and clearly the Kenyan people are expecting more from the coalition government - more unity⁹ of purpose, more progress on the reform agenda, and more concrete action to end impunity¹⁰ and combat corruption¹¹," he said.

The United States and other Western nations have begun upping their own pressure on Kenya's leaders to follow through on its commitments to key reforms.

Less than two weeks ago the U.S. ambassador to Kenya announced that 15 senior Kenyan officials have received private letters threatening action if the reform process continues to lag behind schedule.

A few days ago the British envoy¹² to Kenya announced that the U.K. also has its own list of 20 individuals who it has hit with travel bans for involvement in corruption, and the European Union joined in by saying it too was greatly concerned with the pace of reforms.

According to the former U.N. chief, the reforms topping his priority list include the ratification¹³ of a national constitution, broad electoral reform, the overhaul¹⁴ of the police and judicial¹⁵ institutions, and land reform.

 
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki (File)
Annan expressed worry that unless these core issues of concern were soon addressed, the nation could likely see a repeat of the deadly chaos¹⁶ the followed the nation's December 2007 elections.

"The challenge is to achieve these reforms before the country enters the next electoral cycle in about one year or 18 months time. That is what I will be discussing here, starting with the two principals, President [Mwai] Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga," he said.

A statement issued by the Kenya government following Annan's meeting with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga described the government's current progress on implementing¹⁷ reforms as "impressive."

 
Kenya's PM, Raila Odinga, speaks to journalists in Nairobi (file photo)
The government maintains that, besides the notable exception of internally trying the major suspects of politically-instigated tribal¹⁸ violence, it is currently on pace to implement the reforms. By the government's account, most of the reform items are currently held up in commissions, task forces, or waiting for cabinet or parliamentary approval.

Annan will also be meeting with other senior Kenyan politicians, representative of civil society, religious leaders, and key members of the private sector¹⁹.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

5 curtail   

vt.截短，缩短；削减

参考例句：

• The government hopes to curtail public spending.政府希望缩减公共事业开支。
• The minister had to curtail his visit.部长不得不缩短访问日期。

6 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。

7 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

8 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

9 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

10 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

13 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。

14 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

15 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

16 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。

17 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

18 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

19 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。