VOA标准英语2010年-Sudanese in US Concerned About Souther

If the January referendum does take place, it will have little impact on the conflict in Darfur, in western Sudan, which has been in a lull¹.

In Africa, a new state could be created in 2011.  The tentative date for a referendum in Sudan on whether Southern Sudan will secede² and form a new nation is January next year.  The referendum is part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, or CPA, between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, or SPLM, in the south.

Members of Illinois' Sudanese Community gather at Truman College in Chicago to talk about events in their homeland.

After Sudan's national elections, and with a referendum scheduled on the future of Southern Sudan, there is much to discuss.

Although many believe the April re-election of President Omar al-Bashir was tainted³ by fraud, Benjamin Akol believes the vote was important. "This election, in general, is good, because it was the first time Sudanese experience democracy," he says, "and it is an historic moment in their struggle."

Akol fled Southern Sudan in 1987.  Now he serves as Vice⁴ Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, or SPLM. Under the 2005 peace agreement between Sudan's government in Khartoum and the southerners,  Southern Sudan became semi autonomous⁵ and a referendum was set for 2011.

The Chicago meeting focused on the possible creation of a new nation state.

"It's a critical juncture⁶ for the entire continent," said Will Reno, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University near Chicago.

He says developments in Sudan will have implications beyond Sudan's borders.  If the referendum takes place, Southern Sudanese are expected to vote for secession. "A new country could be created that isn't made out of the old colonial borders, so that is a big departure from decolonization in Africa," Reno said.

Benjamin Akol says independence would come with serious challenges. "Southern Sudan will be a landlocked country, and it will have no outlet⁷ or boundaries with lakes and oceans," he said. "That will be a problem for all Sudanese.  Southern Sudan has the oil too that they have to extract. And by doing that they have to have a port whereby they can sell."

Recently, talks between Sudan's government and the SPLM broke down over who would be eligible⁸ to vote in the referendum.

Sudanese activist⁹ Peter Bul says many of his fellow countrymen worry the referendum might not take place.  So do analysts¹⁰, who predict the north might block the vote and a new north-south war could break out. "It's up to us to really forge on to pressure this government, that this has to happen," he says, "otherwise if we remain silent on this then we know this is not going to happen, and if it doesn't happen, then we will have another war in the country."

The war between the north and the south that ended in 2005, left two million dead.

If the January referendum does take place, it will have little impact on the conflict in Darfur, in western Sudan, which has been in a lull.

Several hundred thousand people have died in the violence there and the United States called it genocide. Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir has been charged by the International Criminal Tribunal with crimes against humanity in Darfur. 
 

1 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

2 secede   

v.退出，脱离

参考例句：

• They plotted to make the whole Mississippi Valley secede from the United States.他们阴谋策划使整个密西西比流域脱离美国。
• We won't allow Tibet to secede from China and become an independent nation.我们决不允许西藏脱离中国独立。

3 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 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。

6 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。

7 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

8 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。