VOA标准英语2009年-Tensions Flare Between Serb, Kosovo Officials a

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo over Kosovo's independence more than a year ago,were evident at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday. Serbia again stated its position that it would never recognize Kosovo's independence, while Kosovo accused Serbia of using blackmail¹ and intimidation² to keep Kosovo Serbs from integrating with the majority Albanian population.
　
U.N. Security Council (file)

Serbian President Boris Tadic hurled³ the first charges, saying that 13 months after its unilateral declaration of independence, Kosovo is not a state.

He said there is minimal⁴ protection of human rights and that attacks continue against minority Kosovo Serbs.
　
Serbian President Boris Tadic (file)

Mr. Tadic also said his country must deal with what he called "the ethnic-Albanian mafia in Kosovo."

"Serbia, together with a number of European Union member-states, faces tremendous problems arising out of the activities of the ethnic-Albanian mafia, which specializes in the trafficking of narcotics⁵, human beings and weapons," he said.

Kosovo's Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said it is Serb-run areas of Kosovo that have turned into a refuge for criminals.

"The situation in the north remains⁶ an issue of utmost concern," he said. "Lawlessness, with evident support of the leadership in Belgrade, has turned this part of Kosovo into a safe haven⁷ for all kinds of criminal and illegal economic activity."

Hyseni said that while Kosovo tries to make cooperation with all of its neighbors a top priority, Serbia tries to obstruct⁸ it by blocking Pristina's participation⁹ in regional and international bodies.

He also accused Belgrade of "encouraging, even blackmailing¹⁰, even threatening" members of the Serb community not to work with the Pristina government or to integrate with the majority. But he said that despite such actions, his government is ready to engage in direct talks and to normalize relations with Belgrade.

Monday's meeting of the Security Council was to discuss a report from the U.N. secretary-general on the situation in Kosovo. The United Nations and the European Union oversee¹¹ the police and judiciary in Kosovo.

In presenting the report, U.N. special envoy¹² Lamberto Zannier said that although the situation in Kosovo has been relatively¹³ calm since his arrival eight months ago, tensions persist and that more is required of both Serbia and Kosovo.

"While both Pristina and Belgrade have made noteworthy attempts to maintain the peace in the face of potentially destabilizing situations, equally, both have stopped short of where we need to be in order to feel confident that Kosovo is well and truly launched onto the path of lasting¹⁴ peace and prosperity," he said.

Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence and is urging countries that have not recognized Kosovo to wait for a non-binding opinion from the International Court of Justice on whether its independence is legal. So far, 56 countries have recognized Kosovo's independence and many, including the United States, say it is "irreversible".

1 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

2 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

3 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

5 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

8 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

9 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

10 blackmailing   

胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The policemen kept blackmailing him, because they had sth. on him. 那些警察之所以经常去敲他的竹杠是因为抓住把柄了。
• Democratic paper "nailed" an aggravated case of blackmailing to me. 民主党最主要的报纸把一桩极为严重的讹诈案件“栽”在我的头上。

11 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

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 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

14 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。