tie 復習
モルディブを加えたアラブ５か国は、イスラム国やアルカイダなどのテロ組織をカタールが支援していると批判し、国交断絶すると発表しました。
Maldives joins ４ other nations in cutting ties with Qatar
Maldives announced Monday that it is severing diplomatic relations with Qatar over its alleged support for Islamist groups.
It joined Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in cutting ties with Qatar, isolating the tiny energy-rich country by cutting off its land, sea and air routes to the outside world.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that Maldives has pursued a policy of promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, and the decision was made because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism.
Diplomatic relations between Maldives and Qatar began in 1984.
Maldives, a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation with 341,000 people, also grapples with extremism. It reportedly has one of the highest per capital rates of people going to fight in foreign wars.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/maldives-joins-nations-cutting-ties-qatar-47837881
記事の中で気になった単語は、繰り返し使われている"tie"です。文脈で意味は把握できると思いますが、確認していきます。
この語は「結ぶ、縛る、ネクタイ」などの意味でお馴染みですが、『ジーニアス英和辞典』第４版（大修館）で調べてみると、名詞で「（国家間の）関係、提携」とありました。"cutting ties"で「国交断絶」となります。
LDOCEでは、"a strong relationship between people, groups, or countries"と定義されており、ただの関係でなく、絆のような強い関係を表すことができることがわかります。(Akim)
