2007年VOA标准英语-Liberia's $391-Million Debt to US is Cancelled

By Marissa Melton
Washington
13 February 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States is canceling the multimillion-dollar debt owed to it by Liberia. Speaking at a Liberia donors¹ conference in Washington Tuesday, she said she hopes the move will inspire other nations to do the same. VOA's Marissa Melton reports from Washington.

Condoleezza Rice (left) and Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Spontaneous applause broke out at the conference at World Bank headquarters, when Secretary Rice announced the United States will forgive Liberia's $391-million debt, run up during years of dictatorship and civil strife² in the West African nation.

"We will cancel that debt, all of it, under the framework for highly indebted countries," said Condoleezza Rice. "We hope that this will help to relieve Liberia's crippling debt burden, a debt burden that today's leadership and today's people of Liberia do not deserve. We hope that it will enable the government to direct more of its resources toward reconstruction³ and development."

Rice said the United States will also work closely with other donors, such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the International Monetary⁴ Fund, to help resolve Liberia's debt to those international institutions. She said neither the Liberian people nor their current leadership deserved to shoulder the nearly $4 billion of international debt run up under the dictatorships of Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor.

She added that President Bush is asking Congress for an additional $200 million in aid for Liberia for 2007 and 2008.

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said the need to resolve Liberia's debt issues is urgent. "The $3.7- billion debt is an unacceptable burden for a country of only three million people. If Liberians fail to see improvements in their lives, the forces of violence could engulf⁵ their country once again, Liberia could slide back into chaos⁶ that threatens not only its own people but its neighbors, and an historic opportunity would have been lost," he said.

Wolfowitz said the annual income in Liberia is about $120 a year. Liberia's debt is about eight times the size of its yearly output.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is in Washington this week to attend the donors' conference and meet with President Bush to discuss Liberia's progress during the year she has been in office.

President Johnson Sirleaf is lobbying hard for debt relief, but has cautioned the funds for such a move should not come out of existing aid for Liberia. She says her country is striving to be a success story that will inspire other struggling African nations. "Our overarching aim is to build a new nation that is peaceful, secure, and prosperous, with democratic and accountable governance, based on the rule of law, and with vibrant⁷ economic opportunities for all Liberians. We must respond to the deep wounds of the civil war while taking steps to establish the foundation for sustained stability and peace in the future. At the same time we must establish a strong economy with robust⁸ job growth and a vibrant public sector," she said.

Ms. Johnson Sirleaf meets with President Bush on Wednesday. She is expected to brief him on the progress of Liberia's reform programs over the past year.

1 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》

2 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

3 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。

4 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。

5 engulf   

vt.吞没，吞食

参考例句：

• Floodwaters engulf a housing project in the Bajo Yuna community in central Dominican Republic.洪水吞没了多米尼加中部巴杰优那社区的一处在建的住房工程项目。
• If we are not strong enough to cover all the minds up,then they will engulf us,and we are in danger.如果我们不够坚强来抵挡大众的意念，就会有被他们吞没的危险。

6 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

7 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

8 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。