2006年VOA标准英语- Sirleaf Gets to Work, Nominations Scrutin

By Nico Colombant
18 January 2006

Now that inauguration¹ festivities are over, Liberia's President  Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is getting to work full time, while her choices for cabinet positions are being scrutinized². Meanwhile, Liberian children seem impressed by the new president's open style of leadership.

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf meets traditional leaders under heavy security
  

Before all the festivities were done late Tuesday, Mrs. Sirleaf was at work, and darting³ between meetings and public events, under the protection of American security agents.

She apologized for arriving late to an occasion held for traditional leaders.

"Before I say thank you, sir, let me apologize, let me say I am sorry, because you waited here a long time," she said. "And I beg your pardon for that, because I know you came this morning, and it was supposed to be a certain time, and I was in all kinds of meetings. But those meetings [are] for you because they are meetings to talk about you. They are meetings to talk about things for the country, they are meetings to talk with the people who will help us so they can help us to do things for the country."

Some of those meetings have revolved⁴ around selecting cabinet nominees⁵. Technocrats⁶ and experienced government and international officials head the list.

At finance minister, Africa's first elected female leader has appointed former World Bank official Antoinette Sayeh. If confirmed, she would become just the second Liberian female finance minister. The first was Mrs. Sirleaf who took the job during the late 1970s.

Other early nominees include Koffi Woods at the Labor⁷ Ministry⁸. He has been outspoken⁹ against foreign corporations exploiting Liberian workers.

A losing first round presidential candidate who backed Mrs. Sirleaf in the second round, Joseph Korto, has been nominated for the crucial position of Education Minister.

In all her speeches during inauguration festivities, Mrs. Sirleaf stressed the importance of rebuilding Liberia's war-shattered school system.

"I want to tell all of you, the children must go to school. Can you hear me right? That is the biggest thing for us to make our country strong, for all your children, from all the villages, from all the towns, all of them try to put them in school," she said. "We know that we do not have enough schools, we do not have enough schools buildings, enough teachers, we do not have enough school books, and pencils, and all those things that they need, well try to get them small, small [little by little], until we get enough. We must try and not let the children go in the market, and not let them go on the farm, they must go to school. I will depend upon the mothers to make sure that they help me, for us, achieve that objective."

 
Liberian children take part in festivities 
  
Later, Mrs. Sirleaf walked outside the Executive Mansion¹⁰, shaking the hands of hundreds of children, giving them advice and answering their questions.

Fifteen-year-old Alex Brown shook her hand, but said he did not have time to tell her what was on his mind.

"I would say thank you very much for bringing peace to our country, and that peace will still be on. I want for her to develop our country, we need good water, electricity and send us to school," he said.

One four-year-old had a prayer for her new president.

American security agents are new faces in Monrovia    
  
"Thank you, sister Ellen, for the good thing that you do. God, thank you sister Ellen, we bless you, follow God god bless you, sister Ellen, for the things that you do. I bless you, I give you honor," he said.

Mrs. Sirleaf is getting help from a large U.N. peacekeeping force as well as international advisors¹¹ who will oversee¹² government contracts. They are part of coordinated¹³ efforts by the international community to secure peace and rebuild Liberia after years of gross corruption¹⁴, inept¹⁵ rule, and conflict that spilled across West African borders.

1 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。

2 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

3 darting   

v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

4 revolved   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The fan revolved slowly. 电扇缓慢地转动着。
• The wheel revolved on its centre. 轮子绕中心转动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

6 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 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。

9 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

10 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

11 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

13 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

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 inept   

adj.不恰当的，荒谬的，拙劣的

参考例句：

• Whan an inept remark to make on such a formal occasion.在如此正式的场合，怎么说这样不恰当的话。
• He's quite inept at tennis.他打网球太笨。