VOA常速英语2007年-From Hospital Bed, Somali President Rejects Rep

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
07 December 2007

Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf is declaring that he's in good health four days after he was admitted to a Nairobi hospital with bronchitis and his health forced him to skip out on a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Nick Wadhams has the story from Nairobi.

Mr. Yusuf told reporters that he had been planning to go to London for a routine medical checkup that he gets each year, but decided¹ to go to the hospital in Nairobi because he had a cough and difficulty breathing. He was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.

Mr. Yusuf's condition was serious enough to force him to cancel a meeting with Secretary Rice earlier this week. The 72-year-old president had a liver transplant 13 years ago.

At a news conference at the hospital, Mr. Yusuf accused journalists of repeatedly exaggerating his health problems.

"In four days in this hospital they cured me and my health is absolutely perfect. Do you remember how many times journalists, who are liars², told to the whole world I was already dead? Three times I watch television, news came - the president of Somalia Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, already died," he said.

Mr. Yusuf's hospitalization and the subsequent health scare comes at a delicate time for Somalia. He appointed a new prime minister, Nur Hassan Hussein, last month. And on Sunday, five cabinet ministers left their jobs because they said the transitional government did not include enough members of their clans³.

Mr. Yusuf's doctor, Mauro Saio, has been his doctor for more than 15 years. He says the Somali president responded well to antibiotics⁴ given to him after he was admitted to the hospital.

"I don't think there is any cause for alarm. He was scheduled to go to London for the routine annual medical checkup for his liver," said Saio. "I must say we have started doing that here and his liver is fine, but London will confirm that. And before leaving he noticed that he has a cough. We did an x-ray, he had bronchitis, he has been put on treatment, he has responded very well. "

When he was first admitted to the hospital, fears arose that Mr. Yusuf was seriously ill. Media reports began to speculate on the possibility of a major power struggle in Somalia if the relatively⁵ weak transitional government is left without a leader.

Somalia has been without a proper government since 1991, when a coup⁶ ousted⁷ dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. Troops from Somalia and Ethiopia have been battling Islamic insurgents⁸ for months, and the United Nations now says the country is witnessing the world's worst humanitarian⁹ crisis.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 liars   

说谎者( liar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The greatest liars talk most of themselves. 最爱自吹自擂的人是最大的说谎者。
• Honest boys despise lies and liars. 诚实的孩子鄙视谎言和说谎者。

3 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

4 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• 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。

7 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

8 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。