VOA常速英语2008年-US Navy Helps West Africans Tackle Illegal Fish

By Ricci Shryock
Dakar
14 April 2008

The United States Navy recently completed a half-year tour of the Gulf¹ of Guinea, where it has worked to train West African maritime² patrols. U.S. officials say the goal of the program was to improve African navies, so they can enforce local laws and combat illegal fishing and migration³ and drug trafficking. Ricci Shryock reports from Senegal's capital.

The Dakar midday sun shone onto the USS Fort McHenry and the wind frantically⁴ whipped a large American flag back and forth⁵, as nearly 200 Senegalese military lined up behind their U.S. Navy teachers for a recent graduation ceremony.

One by one, their squadron names were called out, to mark the soldiers' completion of a one-week course taught by their American counterparts, as part of the Africa Partnership⁶ Station program.

Among the graduates was Yves Ntione, a Senegalese mechanic. He said he learned important things during the course, such as how to change filters. But he says a week was not very long, and he hopes to continue the process.

In June, another U.S. ship will begin a tour of West and Central African nations to again train local maritime forces.

These programs are run by the Africom U.S. military command structure for the continent, which is based in Germany.

At a symposium⁷ in Dakar last week, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Anthony Kurta stressed the importance of training African forces, and adapting to their specific needs.

"The first thing is that we will continue to listen. We will continue to engage. We will continue to be present in the waters in West and Central Africa, and that we will continue to help build you and your capacity to provide for maritime safety in West and Central Africa," said Kurta. "That is our pledge, and that is what we will work to do."

Navy spokeswoman Jane Tyler says the training also helps African countries build stronger economies by curbing⁸ illegal activity in their waters.

"The biggest concern for a lot of these West and Central Africa coast regions is illegal fishing, drug trafficking, illegal theft, illegal immigration, and that does not create an economically prosperous region, and by coming in and doing this military to military training, we help the African nations build up their navies, their capability¹⁰, so they can control their own coastal¹¹ waters, which can provide a more economic prosperous region," said Tyler. "And if they prosper⁹, and they have stable regions, then that will trickle¹² to Europe and the United States."

There has been an increase of such U.S. military training programs in recent years, including to fight alleged¹³ terrorist activity in the West African region as well.

Many human-rights activists¹⁴ in Africa say they fear their governments are taking too much of a militaristic approach to solve what they say are mainly social and poverty problems.

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

3 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

4 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

8 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

9 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

10 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

11 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

12 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

13 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

14 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》