VOA标准英语2014--UN Approves New CAR Peacekeeping Force

 

UN Approves New CAR Peacekeeping Force 

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed Thursday to authorize¹ a nearly 12,000 strong U.N. peacekeeping force for the violence-plagued Central African Republic.  

The force, which will be known by the acronym² MINUSCA, will take over on September 15 from the 6,000-strong African-led mission currently on the ground. It will have 10,000 soldiers and 1,800 police.

The Africans and about 2,000 French forces have been trying to restore calm in the Central African Republic after inter-communal fighting erupted in December, with mainly Christian³ anti-Balaka militias⁴ attacking Muslim Seleka rebels in Bangui. Seleka forces overthrew⁵ the government just over a year ago.

International forces are trying to end reprisal⁶ attacks and restore law and order to halt a growing humanitarian⁷ crisis that has displaced more than 800,000 people and left more than half the country’s 4.6 million population in urgent need of aid.

C.A.R's Foreign Minister Toussaint Kongo Doudou welcomed the creation of the new force saying the hopes of an entire nation ride on it.

"Today the adoption⁸ of this resolution authorizing⁹ the deployment¹⁰ of MINUSCA is the start of a decisive phase in the process of restoring peace and security, and hence, stabilizing¹¹ the Central African Republic," he said in French.

The minister said his country's transitional authorities are committed to national reconciliation¹², combating impunity¹³ and holding national elections no later than February 2015.

French Ambassador Gérard Araud told reporters that although the African and French forces have been working hard on the ground, the security situation remains¹⁴ volatile¹⁵, and the authorization¹⁶ of MINUSCA will be a turning point.

"Their mandate¹⁷ under Chapter 7 [of the U.N. Charter] will focus on protection of civilians¹⁸, restoration of law and order, support to humanitarian access, monitoring of human rights and fight impunity.," Araud said.

The African troops will continue their military activities in the lead-up to the official transfer date in September. After being vetted¹⁹, many of those troops will also be "re-hatted" with the blue helmet of U.N. peacekeepers and join the new mission.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power, who visited C.A.R. this week, told reporters the violence the country has witnessed has brought it "to the edge of disaster".

"Untold²⁰ horrors continue in small villages throughout the countryside, and more than 19,000 Muslims are trapped in the capital, too afraid of anti-Balaka forces to leave their hiding places," she said.

 

Power said the United States would continue its assistance to the country. Washington has committed up to $100 million to support restoring security and an additional $67 million for humanitarian needs since January.

1 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

2 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

5 overthrew   

overthrow的过去式

参考例句：

• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
• They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。

6 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

7 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。

8 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

9 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

10 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

11 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

12 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

13 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

14 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。

15 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

16 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

17 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。

18 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

19 vetted   

v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的过去式和过去分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• The recruits were thoroughly vetted before they were allowed into the secret service. 情报机关招募的新成员要经过严格的审查。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All staff are vetted for links with extremist groups before being employed. 所有职员录用前均须审查是否与极端分子团体有关。 来自辞典例句

20 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。