2007年VOA标准英语-New Sierra Leone President Discusses Borders, S

By Kari Barber
Dakar
21 September 2007

Sierra Leone's newly elected president Ernest Koroma began his first foreign trip Friday since taking office. He stopped first in Guinea and continued on to Liberia where meetings are planned on bolstering¹ security, among other topics. The border area where Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea meet was wracked by violence during recent civil wars, and instability remains² a concern. Kari Barber reports from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar with additional reporting by Prince Collins in Monrovia.

The diamond-rich Mano River basin where the West African nations meet was a haven³ and transit⁴ point for rebels and mercenaries during recent civil wars.

Activists⁵ from the three countries say they want to see their governments work together to control the region, which is still rife⁶ with former fighters, and to boost employment there.

Donald Kalokoh, who works with peace-building groups in Sierra Leone, says reviving trust and cooperation among the governments is key.

"For them to come up with a communique, for them to come up with a joint⁷ security force that will be deployed⁸ to ensure that these borders are well protected," said Kalokoh.

Guinean development worker Mohammed Toure says he wants the governments to deal with endemic unemployment, idle ex-combatants, economic development and other social problems.

Toure says people living in the border region are traumatized by years of war and need help.

Ernest Vafee is a Liberian youth leader in the Mano River Union Youth Parliament, a group that works to create dialogue and trust between the three governments. He says many young people do not have jobs and are most at risk of taking up arms again, so more effort needs to be made to keep them busy.

"We are unveiling opportunities that are available - the private sector⁹, agriculture," said Vafee. "Those areas that can help in leadership so they can evolve as a generation of people that believe in the rule of law."

Sierra Leone just held its first presidential elections since the withdrawal¹⁰ of United Nations troops in 2005. The national police and army were in charge of security for the election which saw street fights between supporters of the rival parties. The clashes have continued even after the election.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council says it is pleased with the progress Liberia has made since its civil war ended in 2003, but will continue to maintain a peacekeeping force there for the time being. The world body says it plans to begin drawing down its 14,000 peacekeepers in the coming months.

1 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

4 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 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。

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。