VOA标准英语2008年-International AIDS Conference Opens in Mexico

The 17th International AIDS Conference opened in Mexico City Sunday with calls for greater efforts to combat the disease and find a cure. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Mexico City, there is an emphasis as well on prevention and treatment in the developing world, where most AIDS victims are found.
　
Display of photos of AIDS patients at the Global Village in Mexico City, 03 Aug 2008

The opening of the AIDS Conference took place in Mexico's National Auditorium¹ before an audience that included government officials, AIDS activists², medical professionals and researchers and people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for greater resources to be used in the worldwide fight against AIDS. He hailed the U.S. Congress and President Bush for recently approving more funds to combat AIDS and other diseases.

"I warmly congratulate the United States government on the new legislation that will allow for $48 billion to be spent on the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis³ and malaria⁴ over five years," he saidl. "I also welcome the commitment of the G8 to keep working towards the goal of universal access to HIV prevention and treatment by 2010."

The executive director of the U.N. AIDS program, Peter Piot, noted⁵ the progress that has been made since the last conference two years ago. He said for the first time since the international effort began, fewer people are dying of AIDS and fewer people are becoming infected with the HIV virus.

But he said much more needs to be done to help people who suffer from the disease.

"In the long run the best way to stop people from dying from AIDS is to reduce new infections in the first place. But, in the mean time, the treatment imperative⁶ remains⁷ as strong as ever, because let us never forget that this is about people," he said. "Because this is about entitlement to life."

An emotional high point of the opening ceremony was a speech by a 12-year-old girl from Honduras, Keren Dunaway, who is infected with HIV.

Dunaway said young people infected with the virus are like their peers in terms of their aspirations⁸, wanting to have careers and families. She said she wants to be a singer.

More than 22,000 people are participating in this year's conference, the highest ever for an AIDS conference in a developing country. During the next few days, researchers will present papers on promising⁹ new treatments and various activists and health workers will discuss such issues as discrimination against those infected with HIV, the role of sex workers in reducing infections and ways of reducing infection among drug users. The conference continues through Friday.

 

1 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。

2 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》

3 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

4 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

5 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。

6 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

7 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。

8 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

9 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。