Ban Ki-moon sworn in as next UN chief_时事要闻

Ban Ki-moon sworn in as next UN chief

文章来源：文章作者：发布时间：2006-12-15 01:19 字体： [大中小]　进入论坛

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U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks during his first news conference at the U.N. in New York, Dec. 14, 2006.

Outgoing United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan (L) is recognized for his ten years of service by General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa (C) and Under Secretary General for the General Assembly Chen Jian before South Korea's Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office as the eighth U.N. secretary-general at a ceremony in the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Dec. 14, 2006.

Dec. 15 - South Korea's Ban Ki-moon was sworn in as the next UN secretary general at a General Assembly ceremony during which he vowed¹ to be "a harmonizer and bridge-builder" and build on the legacy² of the incumbent³, Kofi Annan.

"I, Ban Ki-moon, solemnly swear to exercise in all loyalty⁴, discretion⁵ and conscience the functions entrusted⁶ to me as secretary general of the United Nations," said Ban as he took the oath, his left hand resting on the UN charter.

The 62-year-old South Korean is to officially take up his post on January 1, 2007.

"I add my voice to the many tributes that have been paid to you today," Ban told Annan, who is to step down on December 31 after completing two five-year terms.

Ban vowed to build on the legacy of the outgoing Ghanaian UN chief, adding that one of his priorities would be to "breathe new life and inject renewed confidence into the sometimes weary (UN) Secretariat."

"By strengthening the three pillars of our United Nations -- security, development and human rights -- we can build a more peaceful, more prosperous and more just world for succeeding," the South Korean former foreign minister said to loud applause from the packed assembly.

Mindful of the recent corruption⁷ and sexual abuse scandals that have tarnished⁸ the world body, Ban promised to "set the highest ethical⁹ standard" and to "lead by example".

"My first priority will be to restore trust," he added, in apparent reference to the polarization between rich and poor UN member states over UN reforms. "I will seek to act as a harmonizer and bridge-builder."

Addressing a news conference later in the day, the secretary general-designate described the tragedy in Sudan's Darfur region as "unacceptable" and pledged to be personally engaged in efforts to end the bloodshed there.

And he took Iran to task for hosting a conference casting doubt on the Holocaust¹⁰.

"The denial of the Holocaust is not acceptable," he said. "Nor is it acceptable to call for the elimination¹¹ of any state or people," he added in reference to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks that Israel should be "wiped off" the map and "would soon disappear".

He also said the deteriorating¹² Middle East situation would be one of his priorities, particularly the need to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He also urged Iran to resume negotiations¹³ with European powers to settle the standoff with the Security Council over its nuclear program "in a peaceful way".

On a lighter¹⁴ note, Ban flunked¹⁵ a French language test when he was was unable to answer a reporter's question posed in French as to why French should remain the second working language of the world body, after English.

After he fumbled¹⁶ a "je n'ai pas pu (I was not able)", an aide came to his rescue and translated the question into English, to which Ban replied that the decision to give priority to French was made by UN member states for reasons of "convenience and practicality."

By tradition, the UN secretary general is required to have a working knowledge of French.

Ban has been working assiduously on his French since he launched his bid to succeed Annan early this year. France's UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere certified¹⁷ that Ban's French was adequate.

Meanwhile the US acting¹⁸ Ambassador to the UN, Alejandro Wolff, whose country played a key role in Ban's appointment, said the South Korean "commands our full respect."

"We have full confidence in his ability, his goodwill¹⁹ and his desire to serve and to achieve," the US delegate said. "We look forward to working with the new secretary general and other member states to achieve our shared goal of making the United Nations stronger and more effective and thus further honor Kofi Annan's vision."

Earlier Thursday, the 192-member General Assembly paid a warm tribute to Annan, hailing his "exceptional contribution to international peace and security".

The assembly gave Annan a standing²⁰ ovation²¹ and adopted by acclamation a resolution "acknowledging with deep gratitude²²" his "indefatigable²³ efforts and dedicated²⁴ service" over the past 10 years.

Ban has been at UN headquarters in New York since November working on setting up a transition team ahead of his official assumption of duties.

His election by the General Assembly last October was a mere²⁵ formality after the powerful 15-member Security Council recommended him.

Ban will become the UN's eighth secretary general and the first Asian UN chief since U Thant of Burma led the organization from 1961 to 1971. He will lead a staff of over 15,000, drawn²⁶ from more than 170 nations.

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1 vowed
起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。 I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

2 legacy
n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句：
They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。 He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 incumbent
adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的
参考例句：
He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。 It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

4 loyalty
n.忠诚，忠心
参考例句：
She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。 His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 discretion
n.谨慎；随意处理
参考例句：
You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。 Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

6 entrusted
v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。 She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。来自《简明英汉词典》

7 corruption
n.腐败，堕落，贪污
参考例句：
The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。 The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 tarnished
（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )；玷污，败坏
参考例句：
The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。 His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

9 ethical
adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的
参考例句：
It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。 It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

10 holocaust
n.大破坏；大屠杀
参考例句：
The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。 Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

11 elimination
n.排除，消除，消灭
参考例句：
Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。 I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

12 deteriorating
恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。 I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

13 negotiations
协商( negotiation的名词复数 )；谈判；完成（难事）；通过
参考例句：
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。

14 lighter
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。 The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

15 flunked
v.( flunk的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（考试、某学科的成绩等）不及格；评定（某人）不及格；（因不及格而）退学
参考例句：
I flunked math in second grade. 我二年级时数学不及格。 He flunked out (of college) last year. 他去年（从大学）退学了。来自《简明英汉词典》

16 fumbled
（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱摸，笨拙地弄；使落下
参考例句：
She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。 He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。

17 certified
a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的
参考例句：
Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。 The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

18 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。

19 goodwill
n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉
参考例句：
His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。 We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

20 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

21 ovation
n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌
参考例句：
The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。 The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。

22 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

23 indefatigable
adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的
参考例句：
His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。 He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时，他是不知疲倦的。

24 dedicated
adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的
参考例句：
He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。 His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

25 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

26 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

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