VOA标准英语2009-Progress Made In Eradicating Antipersonnel L

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
12 November 2009
 
11th annual Landmine¹ Monitor Report 
A new report finds significant progress has been made in eradicating² antipersonnel landmines³ since the Mine Ban Treaty came into force 10 years ago.  The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has issued its 11th annual Landmine Monitor Report showing the use, production and stockpiling of these weapons has gone down dramatically. 

The Mine Ban Treaty is one of the most widely ratified⁴ in the world.  Authors of the report say 156 nations have now joined the treaty, leaving 39 states that have not.

Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch and Landmine Monitor's Ban Policy Editor says those who have not joined include some of the biggest stockpilers and former and current users of landmines; China, Russia, the United States, India, and Pakistan.

"But, we do see that even with the vast, vast majority of these 39 States that have not yet joined, they are in de facto compliance⁵ with most of the key provisions," said Steve Goose. "The United States, for example, has not used since 1991.  It has not exported since 1992.  It has not produced the weapons since 1997.  And, we understand that the Obama Administration is taking a fresh look at U.S. landmine policy." 

Goose says the United States has registered to attend the Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in Cartagena, Colombia in early December.  He says this will be the first time the United States will participate in a formal meeting in 10 years.

The report finds that only two countries, Burma and Russia, are still using landmines.  It says use by rebel groups has decreased in 2008. 

The Landmine Monitor says 38 countries have stopped producing landmines.  Only 13 countries, among them Burma, India and Pakistan, are still producing them. 

Goose says during the past decade, 44 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines have been destroyed in 86 countries.  Belarus, Greece, and Turkey have missed their destruction deadline in violation⁶ of the treaty.

Nevertheless, he describes the destruction of these weapons as a major achievement.

"When you destroy a mine from your stockpile, it is a mine that will never get laid, will never take a life or a limb," he said. "So, we put a very high priority on this preventive mine action, if you will."

Since 1999, the report says millions of lives have been saved by the removal of more than two million landmines, 250,000 anti-vehicle mines and 17 million explosive remnants of war in more than 90 countries.

Between 1999 and 2008, the Landmine Monitor identified more than 73,500 casualties in 119 countries.  It says the actual number is probably higher.

1 landmine   

n.地雷

参考例句：

• A landmine is a kind of weapon used in war.地雷是一种运用于战争的武器。
• The treaty bans the use,production and trade of landmine.那条约禁止使用生产和交易雷。

2 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

3 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

4 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。

5 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

6 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。