VOA标准英语2011--Protesters Occupy Durban Climate Conference

Protesters Occupy Durban Climate Conference

 

About 100 protesters staged a two-hour demonstration¹ Friday at the convention center in Durban, South Africa, where United Nations climate talks are stuck in deadlock². Youth activists³ at the U.N. climate conference are disappointed with the lack of progress and are demanding more urgent action.

As government negotiators met behind closed doors at the COP17 conference, meters away a group of protesters made their voices heard.

U.N. security guards surrounded the area while the activists - some from the environmental group Greenpeace, others from various youth organizations - made it clear that they did not think the delegates were acting⁴ in their best interest.

Adam Greenberg, a student from the United States, who participated in the action, said he and other American youths at the conference adamantly⁵ disagree with the U.S. position at the talks.

"But I think it's very clear. There's between 50 and 80 approximately U.S. youth here, [and] except for the four that are here with the State Department, everyone else is very directly against the line that the United States is showing," noted⁶ Greenberg. "They've spoken out about it very clearly, very loudly, very prominently that that does not represent us, that does not represent science, that does not represent our future."

Protesters shout as they demonstrate at the climate change conference in Durban, South Africa, December 9, 2011.

A day earlier, another American youth interrupted a speech by the head of the U.S. delegation⁷, Todd Stern, protesting against the U.S. position that it does not expect to adjust emissions⁸ targets until 2020.

And earlier this week, six Canadian youths turned their back on an address by their country's environment minister, to protest against Canada's plans to pull out of the Kyoto Protocol⁹, a legally binding¹⁰ mandate¹¹ to cut carbon emissions blamed for global warming.

Cat Hudson, with the U.K. Youth Coalition¹², said she hopes the protests that began here at COP17 will reverberate¹³ back in Britain.

"Also, I want it to go back home," said Hudson. "We're representing thousands of people back home who support us and so if it's going to go viral, and people are supporting us, then it's definitely going to influence people here like the whole 'Occupy' movement type thing, that's definitely just a fact."

Police eventually removed the protesters without force. Their message delivered loud and clear, the students went on their way.

And negotiators from governments around the world continued their meetings, with still little reported progress on any deal to combat climate change.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 adamantly   

adv.坚决地，坚定不移地，坚强不屈地

参考例句：

• "Come over here,"he told her adamantly. “到这边来，”他对她坚定地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage. 他的家人坚决反对这门亲事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

8 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

9 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

10 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

11 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

12 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。

13 reverberate   

v.使回响，使反响

参考例句：

• The decision will reverberate and will jar the country.这项决定将引起反响并震撼这个国家。
• Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my hear.痛苦呼喊的一遍遍的在我的心中回响。