2007年VOA标准英语-Liberians Look Toward New Donor Conference

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
12 February 2007

Liberians have high expectations for the upcoming week of meetings, donor¹ conferences and forums² between top officials in Washington, set to address their need for help. VOA's Nico Colombant has more from Dakar.

Richard Tolbert, the chairman of Liberia's national investment commission, explains to VOA the importance of the two-day donor conference that begins Tuesday.

"The purpose of the donor conference is to inform all of our international partners about the needs and potential for engaging Liberia in its interim³ poverty-reduction strategy," he said. "There was a conference held in this country in February of last year in which we brought our partners up to date on the progress made so far and this donors⁴ conference is intended to further that objective."

On the second day of the conference, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will meet President Bush at the White House. A U.S. government statement says the two leaders will discuss continuing cooperation in the areas of reconstruction⁵, economic development, trade, investment, security-sector⁶ reform and debt relief.

Thursday, the chairman of the Liberian investment commission, Richard Tolbert, will head a conference for the private sector, also in Washington.

"The president, in her wisdom, decided⁷ that we will have a third day this year, following the two-day conference which is largely directed toward governmental and intergovernmental organizations. But there will be a third day, focused on the private sector, which I will be chairing along with the minister of commerce [Olubanke King-Akerele]," added Tolbert. "We have got a need to rebuild this country and, with the budgetary limitations that we have, the president has recognized that the private sector is a key towards stimulating⁸ and revitalizing this country."

Among ordinary citizens, expectations are high for the week, which begins with a Monday meeting between President Sirleaf and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"I expect the donor community will really rally around Liberia's reconstruction," said William Selah, a Monrovia journalist. "The devastation⁹ this country went through cannot be overemphasized. Our schools are down, the hospitals are down and public infrastructure¹⁰ was also badly degraded by the war, so the need to rehabilitate¹¹ these areas is glaring."

A boy watches a resident of the abandoned Ducor Hotel building, where they now take shelter, dry her clothes in Monrovia, Liberia (File)

But some Liberians are skeptical¹² and remember, during the Cold War, the United States sent hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to a military dictatorship, while the well-being¹³ of the population worsened and civil war broke out.

Lewis Benson is a housewife. She hopes Liberian officials in Washington will have their priorities in line.

"We want all those who will be representing Liberia to not go for their own selfish ends, because that is how it has been. People just go for their own aim, [while] they carry the masses name," she said. "For this time, we are appealing to our leaders who are in higher positions to come to our aid, because we are suffering. It will at least improve our living conditions."

University of Liberia student Alice-Mae Wellington hopes special emphasis will be put on young people.

"It should be intended for the youths, and it should bring development to our country so that at least people will believe that we are waking up from our slumbers," she said.

In a recent report, the International Monetary¹⁴ Fund said Liberia's economic growth was estimated at seven percent ,last year, and that the government's 2006 to 2007 budget increased by 40 percent, compared to the previous year.

1 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

2 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。

3 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

4 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 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。

8 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

9 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 rehabilitate   

vt.改造(罪犯)，修复；vi.复兴，(罪犯)经受改造

参考例句：

• There was no money to rehabilitate the tower.没有资金修复那座塔。
• He used exercise programmes to rehabilitate the patients.他采用体育锻炼疗法使患者恢复健康。

12 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

13 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

14 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。