VOA标准英语2008年-US Cuts Non-Humanitarian Aid to Mauritania Afte

The United States Thursday suspended most of its aid program to Mauritania because of this week's military ouster of the elected government there. U.S. food aid to the north African state will continue. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
　
Mauritanian President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (l) shakes hands with General Ould Abdel Aziz in Nouakchott (file photo)

The Bush administration is obligated under a 2006 act of Congress to cut off non-humanitarian aid to any country in which an elected government is overthrown¹ by the military. The action against Mauritania announced here freezes more than $22 million in U.S. aid for the current fiscal² year.

The State Department said the suspension, effective immediately, affects $15 million in military-to-military aid, more than $4 million in peacekeeping training, $3 million in development assistance, and smaller amounts for such things as mine clearance³ and anti-terrorism efforts.

Mauritania has further been barred from future grants under the administration's Millennium⁴ Challenge aid program, for which it had qualified⁵ earlier this year.

About $5 million in U.S. food aid will not be affected⁶ by the decision.

At a news briefing, State Department Acting⁷ Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos reiterated⁸ the strong U.S. condemnation⁹ of the coup¹⁰, which ousted¹¹ the country's first elected leader, President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdullahi.
　
Mauritania's President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (File)

Hours earlier, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a written statement, called on the Mauritanian military to release President Abdullahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghef - both of whom were detained Wednesday - and to immediately restore the legitimate¹², constitutional government.

Spokesman Gallegos said the United States is engaged in wide-ranging diplomatic contacts aimed at reversing the coup.

"We've seen that the African Union and the European Union and other governments have also condemned¹³ this event and are demanding a return to constitutional government," he said. "We are discussing this with the countries in the region. We are seeing what we can do and how we can help to bring a reversal of this, and to reestablish a democratically elected government there."

The European Union has said the coup puts in jeopardy¹⁴ more than $240 million in EU aid to Mauritania, pledged over the next five years.

The coup occurred shortly after President Abdullahi announced his intention to remove several top army generals.

The coup leaders have promised early elections but have given no date. Both the African Union and the Arab League have said they are sending envoys¹⁵ to Mauritania to discuss the situation.

Mauritania has had a history of military takeovers since its independence from France in 1960.

President Abdullahi's election last year was hailed as a model for democracy in the region and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte attended his inauguration¹⁶.

1 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

2 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

3 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

4 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

5 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

9 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

10 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

11 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

12 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

13 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

14 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

15 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

16 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。