2006年VOA标准英语-Liberian President Appeals for US Support

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
15 March 2006

 
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during speech to joint¹ meeting of US Congress, March 15, 2006
  
In an address to the U.S. Congress, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has appealed to Americans to support her efforts to bring lasting² peace and stability to her country.

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President Sirleaf began by noting the strong historical ties between Liberia and the United States.

Liberia was founded in 1847 by freed American slaves, with a constitution based on the American model and its currency pegged³ to the U.S. dollar.

Moving to more recent developments in her country Ms. Sirleaf thanked the Bush administration for helping⁴ to facilitate the negotiated exile in 2003 of former President Charles Taylor, which created the conditions for the election that brought her to power:

 
Charles Taylor  (2003 file photo) 
  
"Thanks also to President Bush, whose strong resolve and public condemnation⁵ and appropriate action forced a tyrant⁶ into exile, and thanks to you, the members of this august [noble] body, who spurred the international effort that brought blessed peace to our nation," said Ms. Sirleaf.

Members of Congress are concerned about President Sirleaf's ability to avoid another outbreak of civil conflict in her country after 14 years of bloodletting between rival militias⁷.

A congressional committee recently approved $50 million in support, but held up another 128 million dollars in regular budget funds.

Saying Liberians want neither patronage⁸ nor dependency, President Sirleaf listed some of the problems she faces.

"Mismanagement, corruption⁹, bad governance, massive looting of public treasury¹⁰ and assets," she said.  "Unlike the tsunami¹¹ in Asia, and Katrina here in your own country, where the destruction and human casualty were caused by nature, we participated in, or stood silently by, in our own self destruction."

President Sirleaf's address to a joint meeting of Congress, an honor bestowed¹² on a number of foreign leaders in recent years, preceded her scheduled meeting with President Bush next week.

She hopes for a commitment of more U.S. assistance, and sought to reassure¹³ lawmakers that money will not be wasted.

"We will demonstrate that democracy can work, even under the most challenging conditions," she added.  "We will honor the suffering of our people, and Liberia will become a brilliant beacon¹⁴, an example to Africa and to the world of what the love of liberty can achieve."

She also said Liberia is determined¹⁵ to join the global fight against terrorism, while demonstrating that the transformation¹⁶ from war to peace can succeed.

The Liberian leader thanked Nigeria for accepting Charles Taylor under an internationally negotiated agreement.

While stopping short of saying Liberia has, or will, formally request Taylor's extradition¹⁷ to face war crimes charges, she added Liberia has "little option" but to see that justice is done.

1 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。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 pegged   

v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

6 tyrant   

n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。

7 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

8 patronage   

n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场

参考例句：

• Though it was not yet noon,there was considerable patronage.虽然时间未到中午，店中已有许多顾客惠顾。
• I am sorry to say that my patronage ends with this.很抱歉，我的赞助只能到此为止。

9 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。

10 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

11 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

12 bestowed   

赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
• He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

13 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

14 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

15 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

16 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

17 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。