VOA标准英语2011--UN Envoy Upbeat About Cyprus Peace
时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2011年(四月)
UN Envoy 1 Upbeat About Cyprus Peace
The U.N. envoy overseeing the Cyprus peace negotiations 2 said he believes there is a chance of breaking the deadlock 3 in peace talks between the rival Greek and Turkish communities on the Mediterranean 4 island.
Attempts to reunite Cyprus have been ongoing 5 for more than 30 years, with the latest round of talks launched in 2008. Despite intensive sessions, however, they have failed to gain momentum 6.
Some observers say the negotiations between President Demetris Christofias, who heads the internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot government and Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu are moving too slowly, and are in jeopardy 7 of collapse 8.
But U.N.-appointed Cyprus mediator 9 and a former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer told VOA he continues to remain upbeat about prospects 10 for a breakthrough.
"The differences between them [the Greek and Turkish Cypriots] are not beyond resolution. Now, that is not to say it is not proving to be incredibly difficult to get agreement across all of the chapters, but certainly I still believe that it is possible to conclude an agreement here, but that requires a lot of political courage. Nobody can want this agreement more than the Cypriots themselves," Downer said.
Cyprus was split in a 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a Greek-inspired coup 11, since then Turkish Cypriots live in its north and Greek Cypriots in the south. The division left nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees isolated 12 from their homes by the Turkish control of the northern sector 13 of the island.
The property abandoned by displaced Greek Cypriots has been occupied by settlers from mainland Turkey; it's this problem that is causing the biggest headache for the United Nations.
Downer said significant progress has been made in other areas, though, such as about how the two communities will share power. He admits that much work remains 14 on issues, including the territorial 15 boundaries, especially in the event that oil or gas is discovered offshore 16.
"Remember what is being looked at here - what's being negotiated is a federation 17, so obviously in that sense the coastline is split between two states - two state government jurisdictions 18, but of course it is within the federation itself. So I suspect if Cyprus were to re-unite then the bounty 19 that would come from any offshore resource development would be shared throughout the island," said Downer.
The internally recognized Republic of Cyprus will begin exploratory drilling for gas in six months and hopes to have an estimate of its natural-gas fields by next year. It is a decision that has irked the Turkish-Cypriot community.
"I think this is a different question if Cyprus does not reunite, I suspect in those circumstances the Turkish Cypriots will say they should be included in this bounty and the Greek Cypriots may have another view, may, that is not to say they would," said Downer.
The island joined the European Union in 2004, but only the south has membership benefits. A breakthrough in Cyprus is important for Turkey, because the divided island has become one of the main obstacles in its efforts to push its bid to join the European Union.
- 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。
- negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
- Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
- 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。
- The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
- Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。
- The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
- The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
- We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
- The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。
- His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
- It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻,上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。
- The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
- The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
- He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
- He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。
- There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
- They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。
- The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
- That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。
- His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
- Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。
- The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
- The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
- 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。
- The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
- They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。
- A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
- A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。
- It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
- Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
- Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
- James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。