VOA标准英语2008年-World Economic Forum Opens With Warnings on Ter

By Barry Wood
Davos
23 January 2008

U.S., British and Afghan officials opened this year's World Economic Forum¹ in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday with calls for greater effort to fight global terror and find peace in the Middle East.   VOA's Barry Wood reports from Davos.

Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai told over 2,000 forum participants that more needs to be done to combat terrorism.  Terrorists, he said, have become bolder in recent months, as evidenced by the assassination² of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.  He said terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan has no legitimate³ ideology⁴.

"The terrorism we are fighting is a political mutant, a Frankenstein created through the folly⁵ of short-sighted policy for the reckless pursuit of misperceived interests," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. and NATO-led campaign against terrorism in Afghanistan is more difficult and challenging than initially⁶ thought.  She appealed for strengthened resolve in the fight against terrorism.

"And our publics need to be told honestly that we are engaged in a real war in Afghanistan, that there will be sacrifices, that this is not just a peace-keeping operation, and that the stakes could not be higher for the Afghan people, for our alliance and for international security," she noted⁷.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair, now a Middle East peace envoy⁸, said it is imperative⁹ that the decades long conflict between Palestinians and Israelis be resolved.  He said peace would be a powerful force for democracy and modernization¹⁰ in the Arab world.

"In my view there is nothing more important to empower the modern and moderate voices and to disable the extremes than if we get peace between Israel and Palestine based on justice and fairness and democracy," he said.

Former U.S. secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, told the forum Iran must not be permitted to obtain nuclear weapons.  If it did, he said, this would almost inevitably¹¹ lead to further proliferation and a nuclear catastrophe¹².

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

5 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 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。

8 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。

9 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

10 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

11 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

12 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。