2007年VOA标准英语-Angola, UN Complete Repatriation of 400,000 Ref

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
30 March 2007

Angola has completed what is being called the largest ever repatriation¹ of refugees in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 400,000 people who fled decades of war in Angola have returned home during the past four years. Correspondent Scott Bobb has details from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg.

Senior Angolan and U.N. officials concluded the repatriation program this past week  at a ceremony in Luanda.

The spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner² for Refugees in Angola, Manuel Cristovao Simao, called it a historic occasion.

"This is a very important moment for Angola," he said. "It's a moment of joy, a moment of happiness, a festive³ moment."

More than a million people were killed during the nearly three decades of civil war that erupted at independence and only ended in 2002.

Simao said more than 400,000 refugees during the past four years returned to their villages and neighborhoods. And millions of others who were displaced within the country have also gone home.

"These persons are helping⁴ to rebuild the country, to rebuild their villages, their localities and they are giving their contribution to the reconstruction⁵ of the country," said Simao.

One hundred forty thousand refugees were flown back from neighboring countries such as Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia and South Africa. Others received support as they made their own way home.

In some cases villages that were turned into ghost towns by the years of civil war have returned to life. Yet the returnees face many challenges.

Simao says a major challenge for the younger ones is the language barrier.

"Many of these young returnees left the country at a very young age while others were born outside the country. So they don't speak Portuguese⁶," he said.

Simao says a local bank is funding a reintegration program that includes Portuguese lessons for children. In addition, the Angolan government has rehabilitated⁷ 135 clinics, schools and houses for health workers and teachers as part of the reintegration effort.

The returnees must also be registered in preparations for elections next year.

Officials say 190,000 refugees have asked to stay in their host countries because of jobs or family reasons. Simao says nevertheless the door remains⁸ open for their repatriation.

"The government has guaranteed that these persons remain Angolan citizens and may return to their country of origin whenever they wish to do so," he said.

U.N. officials say the focus now is on sustaining the return program. They are holding a series of meetings with officials from Angola and neighboring countries on how best to guarantee the successful reintegration of the refugees into their societies.

1 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

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 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

7 rehabilitated   

改造（罪犯等）( rehabilitate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使恢复正常生活； 使恢复原状； 修复

参考例句：

• He has been rehabilitated in public esteem. 公众已恢复对他的敬重。
• Young persons need to be, wherever possible, rehabilitated rather than punished. 未成年人需要受到尽可能的矫正而不是惩罚。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。