VOA标准英语2009年-South Korea's President Donates Personal A

South Korea's president is donating his personal assets to charity. The former corporate¹ executive has set up a foundation to disperse² his fortune of $26 million. From Seoul, Jason Strother has the story.
　
South Korea President Lee Myung-Bak

President Lee Myung Bak is standing³ by his 2007 campaign promise to give his wealth to charity after taking office.

His assets, including property and personal savings⁴, are valued at $26 million. The president's family will retain close to $4 million and one home and the rest will go to the foundation Mr. Lee is establishing.

The 67-year-old head of state earned much of his wealth while serving as chief executive office and chairman of Hyundai Engineering and Construction before entering politics in the early 1990s.

His new foundation will use the money to fund scholarships and other services for young South Koreans.

Cho Hyun Jin, assistant secretary to the president, thinks Mr. Lee's own experience with poverty has a lot to do with why he chose to give away his wealth.

"He truly understands what severe poverty means and it is his belief that no one should not able to go to school because of poverty," Cho said.

It is unusual in South Korea for a wealthy person to give away so much money. Owners of the nation's family-run conglomerates⁵, known as chaebols, usually pass down wealth to their relatives.

Reaction to Mr. Lee's donation has generally been positive from opposition⁶ parties and civic⁷ groups that are often critical of the president. But some politicians are concerned that there will not be enough oversight⁸ as to how the money is dispersed⁹, noting that Mr. Lee's close associates will run the foundation.

Mr. Cho of the president's office says there is no merit to these complaints.

South Korea's Ministry¹⁰ of Education must first approve the creation of President Lee's foundation before his funds can be transferred to it.

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 conglomerates   

n.（多种经营的）联合大企业( conglomerate的名词复数 )；砾岩；合成物；组合物

参考例句：

• At the surface, radioactivity of the conglomerates is locally as high as 30 X background. 在地表，砾岩的局部地段的放射性高达30倍本底值。 来自辞典例句
• The conglomerates failed to understand that books could not be sold like soap. 这些联合大企业不懂卖书不象卖肥皂那样。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

8 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

9 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。