2006年VOA标准英语-Annan Unable to Bring Peace in Africa

By Steve Mort
Nairobi/Geneva
14 December 2006
 
watch Annan in Africa report

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has expressed regret at being unable to bring an end to conflict in Africa. Mr. Annan, who will step down on December 31st, was speaking following his final visit to the continent as UN chief.

Despite prioritizing Africa during his 10 years in office, Kofi Annan admits failing to bring peace to places like Sudan and Ivory Coast. Steve Mort accompanied the Secretary General on a recent African tour and filed this report from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Kofi Annan, arriving in Kenya at the start of his farewell tour of Africa, said, "I did not realize how large my Nairobi family is until now.”

 
Annan receiving top honor from President Mwai Kibaki
Whether it was saying goodbye to UN staff, or receiving Kenya's top honor from President Mwai Kibaki, this was an emotional trip for the 68-year-old Ghanaian, and a chance for the UN's longest-serving African Secretary General to reflect.

"I thought we could have done much more and been much more successful in containing conflicts in Africa. We've resolved some, but as I leave office we have Darfur, which has broken out, we have Cote d'Ivoire. Congo, we've had elections, the first one in 40 years, and I hope everyone will respect the results. But I wished we could have pacified¹ the continent and to get the people and the leaders to exploit the natural resources and the riches of Africa for the population and fight the poverty that has settled on the continent."

And nowhere is that poverty more evident than in Ethiopia where Kofi Annan began his UN career 40 years ago. Addis Ababa Mayor presented Annan with a ceremonial key. "It's my honor and pleasure to present you with the key to Addis Ababa."

Mr. Annan took part in a tree planting ceremony in his honor in the capital, Addis Ababa, and held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. "We remain indebted for all that he has done," said the prime minister.

Zenawi won reelection in 2005 in his country's first-ever multi-party polls.

 
Kofi Annan
But Annan says too many African leaders have failed to embrace democracy, and have rewritten constitutions to protect themselves.

In his speech Annan said, "Constitutions should not be changed by the whim² of an individual or to favor the career of an individual. It's a document that is intended to protect the people and the nation and should stand the test of time".

Indeed, Annan's relationship with African leaders has been rocky. While publicly praising him, many politicians on the continent are much more critical in private.

James Traub, author of a book on Kofi Annan's time as UN chief, says African governments were dismayed by his UN reform plans. "He accomplished³ little. I don't think Africans consider him African. I think that, of course, the official rhetoric⁴ is pride on the part of the continent that one of theirs has Secretary General and so on. But for example, I remember at the time of the reform package in 2005, you heard a lot from African and other third world diplomats⁵ that the language of it was the kind of language that only would have been written by someone whose orientation⁶ was Western -- it was so much about issues of freedom and liberty and so little about the kind of social and economic rights that people in Africa care for."

But Annan touts⁷ his successes in Africa, like establishing the Millenium Development Goals -- an ambitious set of poverty reduction targets -- and tackling disease.

And he says, when he steps down, he will help promote sustainable agriculture on the continent.  However, as he retires, Annan admits conflict and insecurity in Africa have left many countries in worse shape now than before he took office.

1 pacified   

使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平

参考例句：

• The baby could not be pacified. 怎么也止不住婴儿的哭声。
• She shrieked again, refusing to be pacified. 她又尖叫了，无法使她平静下来。

2 whim   

n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想

参考例句：

• I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
• He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

7 touts   

n.招徕( tout的名词复数 )；（音乐会、体育比赛等的）卖高价票的人；侦查者；探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金，这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
• Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物，他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网