VOA标准英语2008年-Mugabe Defends Land Policies at UN Summit

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
03 June 2008

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has defended the land policies of his government which have been blamed for devastating¹ the country's agricultural sector². Addressing delegates at a U.N. summit on world food security in Rome, the Mr. Mugabe said he is undoing³ a legacy⁴ left by Zimbabwe's former colonial masters. For VOA, Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.
　

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends a high-level conference on World Food Security in Rome, 03 Jun 2008

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is blamed for the economic collapse of a country that was once considered the southern Africa's breadbasket. Speaking to world leaders at a U.N. summit on the global food crisis in Rome, he blamed the West with its international sanctions for trying to cripple his nation's economy.

Mr. Mugabe defended his policies.

"Over the past decade Zimbabwe has democratized the land ownership patterns in the country with over 300,000 previously⁶ landless families now proud land owners," he said.

He added that in the past a mere⁷ 4,000 farmers, mainly of British ancestry⁸, owned the land. Mr. Mugabe also said his policies have led to anger and retaliation⁹ by the United Kingdom.

"While this land reform program has been warmly welcomed by the vast majority of our people, it has however, and regrettably so, elicited¹⁰ wrath¹¹ from our former colonial masters," Mugabe said. " In retaliation for the measures we took to empower the black majority, the United Kingdom has mobilized her friends and allies in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand to impose illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe."

The Zimbabwe's presence at the U.N. summit has been heavily criticized by some countries, including the United States.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Mr. Mugabe could only serve as an example of what not to do in terms of managing agricultural and food policy.

"Under President Mugabe's misrule, Zimbabwe has gone from being an exporter of food to an importer," Casey noted¹². "I don't think there is anyone out there who has looked at this issue who dies not feel that the tragic¹³ situation in Zimbabwe is not very much attributable to the ruinous policies, not only agricultural policies but other economic policies that President Mugabe's regime has followed and carried out."

He added that the Zimbabwe's president "misrule" has turned the country into a tragic place and Mr. Mugabe, he says, has a lot to answer for to his own people.

1 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

2 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。

3 undoing   

n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭

参考例句：

• That one mistake was his undoing. 他一失足即成千古恨。
• This hard attitude may have led to his undoing. 可能就是这种强硬的态度导致了他的垮台。

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

9 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

11 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。