2007年VOA标准英语-Non-governmental Organizations Claim to Serve H

By Jela De Franceschi
Washington
12 July 2007
 

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are rapidly growing all over the world.  Many are dedicated¹ to alleviating² humanitarian³, social and educational problems of the less fortunate in society.  In Focus, VOA's Jela de Franceschi, looks at NGOs, and examines whether they are the "conscience of humanity," as their supporters say, or the "puppets" of foreign states as critics charge.

In recent years, thousands of non-governmental organizations have sprung up in all parts of the world.  Foreign policy analysts⁵ say India has at least a million NGOs and Russia 400,000 and they are spreading in Africa. The United States has an estimated two million NGOs or non-profit organizations.

Pamela Aall

NGO expert Pamela Aall of the United States Institute of Peace says NGOs ensure resilience in civil society.  "It allows citizens' voices to be heard.  It allows citizens to take responsibility for how their society is performing and allows citizens to talk to their government in organized ways.  And in an open system, there are organized ways -- even on very difficult issues."

Brian Gallagher, President and CEO of the United Way of America, agrees.

Brian Gallagher

"We think that what makes a great community is good government, a good business environment where good jobs get created and, then, a good voluntary sector⁶."

The United Way is one of the oldest, private volunteer organizations in the United States -- founded by two priests and a rabbi in 1887.  Gallagher says the United Way works with business and religious leaders to identify a community's most critical needs.

"It could be education, it could be lack of affordable⁷ housing or teenage drug and alcohol abuse," he says. "We work together with different interests in the community to devise strategies to try to alleviate⁸ some of those problems.  We raise money and then we fund projects and programs that deal with those issues."

But voluntary organizations are often criticized when they take large donations from single private sources or accept government grants. 

Justine Logan

Justin Logan, a political analyst⁴ at the Cato Institute in Washington, says, "In the past 10 or 15 years, there has been an increasing role of what I would not call non-governmental organizations, but sort of quasi-governmental organizations.  I think it really does raise questions in the minds of people around the world about whether or not, for example, an institution would advance a worthy⁹ political goal if it were at odds¹⁰ with U.S. national interests abroad."

Still, many experts point out that well-established NGOs are sometimes more trusted than governments.   And others note that although NGOs have few powers over international decision-making, some, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders, are influencing international policy where previously¹¹ only states played a significant role.

1 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

2 alleviating   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• If it's alleviating pain,who knows what else it's doing? 如果它减轻了疼痛，天知道还影响什么？
• Measuring poverty is not the same as alleviating it, of course. 当然，衡量贫困和减轻贫困是截然不同的。

3 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。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

9 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

10 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

11 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。