2007年VOA标准英语-Sierra Leone President Kabbah Steps Down With M

By Kari Barber
Freetown
18 September 2007

A new president, opposition¹ leader Ernest Koroma, has been sworn-in in Sierra Leone. With Koroma's inauguration², outgoing President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah - who is often credited with bringing the nation out its decade-long civil war and ushering³ in an era of peace - is stepping down from power. Kari Barber spoke⁴ with people in the capital Freetown and the second-largest city, Bo, about how they will remember Mr. Kabbah's presidency⁵.

President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah gives his farewell address to Sierra Leone parliament, 18 Sept 2007

As President Kabbah bid farewell to parliament, he reminded them of the country he inherited when he was first elected to power in 1996.

"The state was overwhelmed by the victory of guns over normal politics, mired⁶ in one of the bloody⁷ civil conflicts in history, torn by fear," he said.

Kabbah was overthrown⁸ by a junta⁹ in 1997 and fled the country. A year later, with the help of ECOWAS troops, he was reinstated as president. He signed a deal with the rebel groups to officially end the war in 2002 and then was re-elected to second five-year term in that same year.

Sierra Leoneans say while they will always be grateful for the role Mr. Kabbah played in ending the war, which left tens of thousands dead, many feel he did not do enough to recover the nation's economy.

Denis Manda Kassay, from the southern city of Bo, says he was an official in Mr. Kabbah's party, but quit supporting him when he tapped Vice¹⁰ President Berewa as his successor. Bo is a traditional stronghold for Mr. Kabbah's party.

"He just imposed Solomon Berewa who is not the choice of the people," he said.

Market vendor¹¹ and mother Kadie Sendefu says she was happy Mr. Kabbah made education more available, but she says education is useless when unemployment is so high.

"People have gone to colleges, but they do not have jobs," she said.

Freetown businessman Mohammed Jabbie says he thinks Mr. Kabbah, who formerly¹² worked for the United Nations, did fine as president considering he was tasked with rebuilding a war-shattered nation.

"His enemies want things overnight, which I do not think is possible," he said. "It takes time to achieve some aims."

The editor of a popular political satire¹³ newspaper, Olu Richie Awoonor-Gordon, says in addition to ending the war Mr. Kabbah will be remembered for the country's high corruption¹⁴ and for being politically naive¹⁵.

"He was a very strange leader," he said. "To be frank and honest he is a very likable man as an individual, but as a president he seemed to always make the wrong decisions. He was very reluctant to listen to advice. He made a lot of errors that affected¹⁶ our country very deeply."

Before walking out of parliament for the last time, Mr. Kabbah thanked officials from all of the parties.

"Thanks to your cooperation, understanding and resilience, the dark days in our country's tragic¹⁷ history are over and together we have courageously¹⁸ brought back peace, security and hope to ourselves," he said.

Mr. Kabbah has not said what he will do now, but he has said he will support opposition leader Ernest Koroma as the new president, and many say this transfer of peaceful democracy is the greatest legacy¹⁹ he could leave.

1 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。

2 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。

3 ushering   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They were right where the coach-caller was swinging open a coach-door and ushering in two ladies. "他们走到外面时，叫马车的服务员正打开车门，请两位小姐上车。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Immediately the two of them approached others, thanking them, ushering them out one by one. 他们俩马上走到其他人面前，向他们道谢，一个个送走了他们。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

8 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。

9 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

12 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

13 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

14 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。

15 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

16 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。

17 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

18 courageously   

ad.勇敢地，无畏地

参考例句：

• Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下，灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪，把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
• He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危，但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。

19 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。