VOA标准英语2009年-Southern African Ministers Meet on Zimbabwe Rec

Southern African ministers Thursday opened a meeting in Cape¹ Town, South Africa aimed at drafting a plan to help Zimbabwe's economic recovery. The recently installed unity² government reportedly has requested $2 billion in aid for this year from the regional group.
　
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (File)

South Africa's Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma opened the ministerial meeting of the Southern African Development Community by welcoming the creation of the new government in Zimbabwe. She said it paved the way for national reconciliation³, economic recovery and reconstruction⁴.

"As SADC, it is our responsibility together with the international community to accompany the Zimbabwe people as they endeavor to address their economic challenges as well as the humanitarian⁵ problems," she said.

She called on western governments to lift sanctions which were imposed on Zimbabwe because of authoritarianism⁶ and human rights abuses.

South Africa's Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told national radio that Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had proposed a $2 billion SADC recovery package. He said about $1 billion would go to stimulate⁷ the economy and trade and $1 billion would aim to revive health, education and public services.

Zimbabwe's economy has declined by 40 percent in the past 10 years. The unemployment rate is 80 percent. And there are shortages of basic goods.
　
Cholera⁸ patients lie in beds in Budiriro clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, 29 Jan 2009

In addition, humanitarian groups are struggling to control a cholera epidemic⁹ that has infected more than 80,000 people and killed 3,800.

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Catherine Bragg, ended a five-day visit to Zimbabwe Thursday with a graphic¹⁰ assessment¹¹ of the humanitarian situation there.

"Despite tremendous efforts to contain one of the world's worst cholera outbreaks in recent times major challenges remain," she said. "There are areas where results of our concerted efforts can be seen in a declining number of new infections, but there are many places which have not been reached with the required services and where cholera continues to spread."

She said in order to prevent the spread of cholera and other diseases a major overhaul¹² was needed of health, water and sanitation¹³ systems.

The U.N. official added that Zimbabwe's economic crisis was causing increasing hunger around the country.

"The food security situation usually improves in March and April after which the need for food aid generally declines," said Bragg. "But we continue to see serious challenges. A growing number of households are reducing the number of meals they have per day. This indicates the people's coping mechanisms¹⁴ are stretched."

Bragg added that Zimbabwe's schools, which have been mostly closed for the past year, also needed considerable aid in order to re-open.
　
Morgan Tsvangirai (l) leader of the main opposition¹⁵ party in Zimbabwe takes the oath of Prime Minster, in front of President Robert Mugabe (r) at the State House in Harare, 11 Feb 2009

The U.N. visit came two weeks after the inauguration¹⁶ of Zimbabwe's unity government which brought long-time opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai into government as prime minister with President Robert Mugabe remaining as head of state.

Mr. Tsvangirai Wednesday praised several ministries¹⁷ for paying workers. Many of them had been striking over low or unpaid¹⁸ salaries.

But he said Mr. Mugabe had appointed numerous senior officials and diplomats¹⁹ without consulting him, which violated the accord that created the unity government.

And Mr. Tsvangirai also criticized the president's allies for blocking the release of several dozen political prisoners, saying such violations²⁰ were hindering reforms that were so desperately²¹ needed.

Mr. Mugabe in an interview with the government-owned Herald²² newspaper Thursday indicated such appointments were legal because they had been made before the launch of the new government. He also said the current government was an interim²³ arrangement that could lead to a new constitution and elections within two years.

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

7 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

8 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

9 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

10 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

11 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

12 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

13 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

14 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

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。

17 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

18 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

19 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

21 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

22 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

23 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。