VOA标准英语2010年-AU Summit Attracts Democrats and Dicta

Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan, left, walks with Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete, at the ongoing¹ African Union summit in Kampala, Uganda, 26 Jul 2010

An African Union summit in Uganda's capital city Kampala is drawing to a close with a number of difficult issues still dividing participants.  These twice-yearly gatherings³ show Africa at its best and worst, bringing together a diverse collection of democrats⁴ and dictators.

 Diplomats often describe the African Union as a "work in progress" - great accomplishment⁵ in the midst of poverty, conflict and a distressing⁶ record in fostering peace and good governance.

Critics, such as Ugandan lawyer and political commentator⁷ Gawaya Tegulle describe the continent's leadership as an "African tragedy."

"If you look at Sudan, Libya, you look at Zimbabwe, it goes without mentioning, Zimbabwe is an obvious case," said Tegulle.  "If you look at a series of West African states where you see very weak government, you look at Niger, at the Central African Republic, you look at Chad, these are really depressing stories.  So we are looking at a few democrats gathered in Kampala, and a lot of dictators."

Some considered the worst of the continent's leaders are staying away from this summit.  Sudan's Omar al-Bashir is among those absent.  Uganda, one of 30 African state parties to  the International Criminal Court, would have been obliged to arrest the Sudanese leader, who is under ICC indictment⁸ for war crimes and genocide.

But even among ICC member states, the Bashir indictment generates anger in an organization known for protecting its own.  Malawi's President Bingu Wa Mutharika, who holds the rotating AU chairmanship, received applause when he criticized the ICC indictment.

"There is a general concern in Africa that the issuance of a warrant of arrest for His Excellency al-Bashir, a duly elected president of the Sudan, is a violation⁹ of the principles of sovereignty guaranteed under the United Nations and under the African Union charter," said Mutharika.  "To subject a sovereign head of state to a warrant of arrest is undermining African solidarity¹⁰ and African peace and security that we fought for for so many years."

This summit is devoted¹¹ to examining why so many African women die during childbirth.  Heads of state participating in a panel discussion on the subject said the biggest challenge is a lack of money.  But one panelist, legendary¹² singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka spoke¹³ for many Africans when she shot back, "That has not stopped African deposits in Swiss bank accounts."

Activists¹⁴ working on the summit's margins¹⁵ call it 'kleptocracy', the tendency of government officials to divert development funds to their own uses.  U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder¹⁶, in a message from President Barack Obama, announced a new initiative aimed at prosecuting¹⁷ officials who misuse¹⁸ U.S. development aid.

"I am pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice is launching a new Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative aimed at combating large-scale foreign official corruption¹⁹ and recovering public funds for their intended and proper use: for the people of our nations," said Holder.

But for all the failings of its leaders and its institutions, there is no question that Africa is moving forward.  The triumph of the World Cup in South Africa is but one example.  Speaking at the launch of a new infrastructure²⁰ initiative, South African President Jacob Zuma predicted Africa's time has come.

"Africa is a region in the world that has started on economic growth and it has potential that no other continent has," said Zuma.  "Other continents that have been big for centuries are shrinking in the economic sense.  Africa is going to be number one."

This Kampala summit, like every AU gathering², has been dominated by security issues.  Somalia tops the list this time.

AU Peace and Security Commissioner²¹ Ramtane Lamamra acknowledges the dominance of conflict is an accurate reflection of the state of Africa.  But he argues a longer look shows great progress in the past decade, in promoting integration²², development and democracy.  And, one might add, good governance.

 

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

6 distressing   

a.使人痛苦的

参考例句：

• All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
• It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。

7 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

8 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

9 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

11 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

12 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

13 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 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》

15 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

16 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

17 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

18 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

19 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

20 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

21 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

22 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。