VOA标准英语2010年-Clinton Says Sudan Peace Efforts at 'C

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday Sudan is at a critical juncture¹ as parties prepare for elections in April that could consolidate² peace between north and south. U.S. envoy³ for Sudan Scott Gration plans Sudan-related travel in Africa later this month and a pre-election visit to Sudan in February.

In a statement marking this week's fifth anniversary of Sudan's north-south peace accord, Clinton credited both sides for the progress in the implementation⁴ process thus far but said it is not yet enough to secure lasting⁵ peace.

Appearing alongside the administration's Sudan envoy Scott Gration, Clinton said the parties now face a choice between reverting⁶ back to a "dark era of conflict" or moving forward together toward a lasting peace. "The parties of Sudan cannot afford to delay, and there can be no backtracking on agreements already reached. The risks are too serious - renewed conflict between north and south would prolong human suffering and threaten stability and peace throughout the  greater region. Because Sudan is at a critical juncture after almost a half-century of conflict, we hold all parties accountable if progress is impeded," she said.

The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Accord or CPA provides for Sudan's first national elections in 24 years to be held in April, and a referendum in the mostly-Christian and animist southern region early next year on whether it will break away from the Muslim-led Khartoum government and become fully⁷ independent.

Clinton urged the ruling National Congress Party government in Khartoum to safeguard freedoms of speech and assembly in the run-up to the April voting, and suspend elements of existing public order laws incompatible⁸ with free elections.

She said strong leadership is required on both sides and said the former southern Sudan rebel movement, the SPLM, must tackle growing ethnic⁹ and tribal¹⁰ violence in the vast, oil-rich region.

"No matter the outcome of the referendum, southern Sudan must increase its institutional capacity and prepare to govern responsibly, whether as a semi autonomous¹¹ region within Sudan or a newly independent nation. I've been tracking the increasing inter-ethnic and  tribal violence in the south over the course of  2009. And I share the concerns raised by recent reports that highlight the death of more than 2,500 people and displacement¹² of more than 350,000. These stark¹³ figures illustrate¹⁴ the need for the government of southern Sudan to improve governance and security," she said.

Clinton said implementing¹⁵ the CPA, and bringing peace to Sudan's troubled western Darfur region, "must be seen in tandem¹⁶" and that the United States continues to push for full access to the area by aid groups and U.N. peacekeepers.

Sudan envoy Gration, a former U.S, Air Force general raised in Africa, said he will begin a pre-election diplomatic push later this month with visits to Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia for the January 31st African Union summit in Addis Ababa. He said he plans his next Sudan trip in mid-February with a focus on Darfur. "My focus will be on security in Darfur because I believe that if we can fix the security, the lawlessness, the banditry, the car-jackings, the hijackings - if we can get that hat kind of thing taken care of the rest of the issues that have to do with humanitarian¹⁷ access, eventual¹⁸ voluntarily return (of displaced persons) and the other issues that are looming¹⁹ out there can be taken care of. But they cannot be taken care of with the current situation that we have, where local rule of law is not sufficient, and where local criminal elements rule the day," he said.

Gration said while he will continue to engage officials of the Khartoum government, he will not interact with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who faces Darfur-related international war crimes charges.

 

1 juncture   

n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头

参考例句：

• The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
• It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

2 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

3 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。

4 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

5 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。

6 reverting   

恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• The boss came back from holiday all relaxed and smiling, but now he's reverting to type. 老板刚度假回来时十分随和，满面笑容，现在又恢复原样了。
• The conversation kept reverting to the subject of money. 谈话的内容总是离不开钱的事。

7 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。

8 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

9 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。

10 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。

11 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

12 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

13 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

14 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

15 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

16 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

17 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

18 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

19 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望