Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 981, Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions.
This is English as a Second Language podcast number 981.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is ESLPOD.com.
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On this episode we're going to listen to a dialogue between Andy and Marjorie about diplomatic and economic sanctions when one country decides to punish another country or attempt to punish another country.
Let's get started.
Well, it's happened.
What's happened?
The U.S. has placed diplomatic and economic sanctions on McQuillanland.
It's about time.
The McQuillanland government has violated international law for the last time.
That's great, but what does it really mean?
Well, it means that all high-level talks between the US and McQuillan land have been called off and the US embassy is closing.
That sounds serious.
You bet it is, and that's just the beginning.
With economic sanctions, there'll be serious consequences for business and trade.
There'll be an embargo on US companies doing business there and there'll be a naval blockade to enforce it.
They have.
What made them think they could thumb their noses at us and get away with it?
I have no idea.
But they're about to find out what the repercussions are when they fought international law.
Andy says to Marjorie, Well, it's happened.
Marjorie says, what's happened?
Andy says, the U.S. has placed diplomatic and economic sanctions on McQuillan land.
McQuillan land, of course, is that country that very few people have visited.
But it's really a very beautiful country.
I'm told diplomatic D-I-P-L-O-M-A-T-I-C refers to things dealing with other countries.
Diplomatic sanctions S-A-N-C-T-I-O-N-S refer to actions that a country takes in in order to show another country that they don't like what that other country is doing.
It could involve, for example, closing your country's embassy in another country, removing your country's official representatives from that country.
Economic sanctions are usually financial penalties that are forced on a country.
It may involve, for example, saying to the companies in your country that they can't sell to anyone in this other country.
That's a very common type of economic sanction.
Sanctions are things that countries do to try to force other countries to change their policies basically.
And he says, it's about time.
That expression it's about time is used to show that you are happy that something has finally happened that you wanted to have happen.
It's about time is usually used when something should have happened a long time ago but hasn't, and now finally, it has happened.
If you've been dating your girlfriend for many years and finally you ask her to marry you, your girlfriend and your girlfriend's parents might say it's about time.
Well, in this case, it's about time that the US placed diplomatic and economic sanctions on McQuillanland.
According to Andy,
The McQuillanland government, Andy says, has violated international law for the last time.
To violate V-I-O-L-A-T-E means to break a rule, to do something that is illegal or wrong.
International law refers to laws that affect many different countries in many different parts of the world.
International law is is something that requires everyone agree on what the law is.
That, of course, is a rather serious problem many times.
But in this case the McQuillan land government, according to Andy, has violated international law, has broken the laws for the last time.
The expression for the last time means they won't do it again, presumably because the US is putting these sanctions on McQuillan land.
Marjorie says that's great, but what does it really mean?
What is the consequence of this?
Andy says well, it means that all high-level talks between the US and McQuillan land have to be called off and the US embassy is closing.
High level talks would be important discussions between members of different governments at a very high level.
That is the president, the vice president, the most important leaders of the country are talking to the most important leaders of another country.
To be called off is a phrasal verb meaning to be canceled, to have something ended even though it was planned or scheduled.
If you and I decide to meet tomorrow for lunch and I say well, I'm going to have to call off our meeting, that means I have to cancel our meeting.
To call off is usually used for business or official meetings.
You wouldn't use that if you were going to meet your girlfriend tomorrow night.
You wouldn't say, I have to call off our meeting.
You would have to say I have to cancel our meeting because, and you have to then make up some excuse why you're not going to meet your girlfriend.
But that's your problem.
Our problem is these sanctions against McQuillanland.
Andy says the U.S. embassy is closing in McQuillanland.
The embassy E-M-B-A-S-S-Y is the building with the offices of the official representatives of a country in another country.
The official representatives include the main or most important representative called the ambassador, A-M-B-A-S-S-A-D-O-R.
Marjorie says, that sounds serious.
Andy says, you bet it is, meaning yes, that's right.
And that's just the beginnings.
With economic sanctions, there'll be serious consequences for business and trade.
Trade.
T-R-A-D-E refers to selling and buying things from another country or from a company in another country.
Andy says there'll be an embargo on US companies doing business there and there'll be a naval blockade to enforce it.
An embargo E-M-B-A-R-G-O is when companies are not allowed to buy and sell things from another country.
All companies are forbidden to sell or buy things from any company in this other country.
We would call that a trade embargo.
There's also something called an arms ARMS embargo.
That would be when you prevent or try to prevent anyone from selling weapons to another country.
This embargo, according to Andy, will be enforced by a naval blockade.
To enforce ENFORCE is to make sure that people follow or obey the law or the rule that you have established.
Naval, N-A-V-A-L, refers to ships on the ocean or specifically to the military ships of a country.
A blockade, B-L-O-C-K-A-D-E, is when you prevent anything from leaving or coming into a certain area, in this case, a certain country.
It would be very unusual for any country to have a naval blockade to enforce a trade embargo.
That might happen for an arms embargo, but usually not for a trade embargo.
But McQuillan land apparently is a very serious violator of international law, and so this is considered necessary.
Marjorie says wow, the McQuillanlanders people who live in McQuillanland have really done it this time, meaning they've done something really wrong.
Andy says they have.
What made them think they could thumb their noses at us and get away with it?
To thumb, T-H-U-M-B, your nose at someone is an interesting expression, meaning...
To act disrespectfully towards someone or to disobey a law, to not follow a law and not really care that you're not following the law.
Andy says that the McQuillan Landers have thumbed their nose at us and said They think they can get away with it.
To get away with something is to do something bad but not to be punished.
When you break a law but you're not caught, that would be to get away with it.
Marjorie says, I have no idea, meaning I don't know how they thought they could get away with it.
But they're about to find out what the repercussions are when they flout international law.
Repercussions, R-E-P-E-R-C-U-S-S-I-O-N-S, are negative consequences of something.
Bad things that happen as a result of something else.
To flout, F-L-O-U-T, means to ignore a law or a rule.
To break a rule even though you know that you're not supposed to.
That's to flout the law or to flout a rule.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Well, it's happened.
What's happened?
The U.S. has placed diplomatic and economic sanctions on McQuillanland.
It's about time.
The McQuillanland government has violated international law for the last time.
That's great, but what does it really mean?
Well, it means that all high-level talks between the US and McQuillanland have been called off and the US embassy is closing.
That sounds serious.
You bet it is.
And that's just the beginning.
With economic sanctions, there'll be serious consequences for business and trade.
There'll be an embargo on US companies doing business there and there'll be a naval blockade to enforce it.
Wow.
The McQuillanlanders have really done it this time.
They have.
What made them think they could thumb their noses at us and get away with it?
I have no idea, but they're about to find out what the repercussions are when they flout international law.
There's no embargo on importing wonderful language lessons, especially the ones written by our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr Lucy Saye.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
Copyright 2014 by the Center for Educational Development.
