2006年VOA标准英语-Liberian President Visits US

By James Butty
Washington
15 March 2006
 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf  
  
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has arrived in Washington Tuesday for her first official visit to the United States since being inaugurated early this year.

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A small group of Liberians welcome President Sirleaf to Washington with a prayer service held in the lobby of her hotel. Reverend Emmanuel Johnson of the Episcopal Church was one of the officiating ministers.

"We prayed for the safe arrival here to the United States of America, and we prayed that her mission be fruitful," said Reverend Johnson.

President Sirleaf is in Washington to seek U.S. assistance as she undertakes the huge task of rebuilding her war-ravaged country. Samuel Abu is minister counselor¹ for Public Affairs at the Liberian embassy here in Washington.

"This morning she is expected to go to the State Department where she will meet with the assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer. And from there she begins to meet some members of the House of Representatives," said Abu. "In the afternoon, that's about two o'clock, she's expected to go over to the Capitol where she will be addressing the joint² session of both the House of Representatives and the Senate."

The Liberian president will be the fourth African head of state to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

On Thursday, President Sirleaf goes to the United Nations for a meeting with Secretary General Kofi Anna. She will also address the U.N. Security Council. While in New York, the Liberian president is scheduled to ring the bells to signal the close of the New York Stock Exchange in what the Embassy of Liberia calls a bid to attract investors³ to Liberia.

1 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会