2007年VOA标准英语-World Bank President Resigning Amid Conflict of

By Barry Wood
Washington
17 May 2007

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, 15 May 2007

The resignation followed a day-long meeting of the bank's 24-member executive board. In a statement, Wolfowitz said his resignation was in the best interests of the 185 member-nation bank and would take effect June 30th.

A statement from the board said it accepted that Wolfowitz thought he had acted ethically¹ in arranging a promotion² and pay increase for his female companion, a bank employee. That two-year old controversy³ evolved into charges of ethics⁴ violations⁵ and prompted some European governments to demand his ouster.

Wolfowitz has had a stormy relationship with the bank's professional staff ever since he became president two years ago. While at the U.S. defense⁶ department he was a principal architect of the Iraq war that is deeply unpopular among many bank staff, less than 30 percent of whom are American.

President Bush, after weeks of insisting that Wolfowitz should retain his job, Thursday acknowledged that his former associate had lost the battle.

"All I can tell you is I know that Paul Wolfowitz has an interest in what's best for the Bank, and just like he's had an interest in what's best for making sure the Bank focused on things that matter: human suffering, the human condition. I -- and so I applaud his vision, I respect him a lot, and as I said, I regret this has come to this right now," he said.

By tradition, the United States nominates the president of the World Bank, which like its neighbor the International Monetary⁷ Fund-which is run by a European, was set up in the aftermath of World War Two. The bank has had only ten presidents and Wolfowitz is the first to be forced to resign.

Wolfowitz's hold on the top job became untenable earlier this week as the bank's board moved towards a vote to remove him. That vote never occurred as Wolfowitz resigned after obtaining a statement that he acted in good faith concerning his companion, British national Shaha Riza. In an unprecedented⁸ action, Germany's development minister said Wednesday that Wolfowitz would be unwelcome at a Berlin meeting he was scheduled to attend next week.

There is as yet no indication as to who will replace Wolfowitz as head of the world's biggest development institution.

Paul Wolfowitz, the former number two man in the U.S. Defense Department, announced late Thursday that he is resigning as World Bank president. VOA's Barry Wood reports Wolfowitz has been at the center of a six-week long controversy over his personal dealings at the anti-poverty agency.

1 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

2 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

5 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 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。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。