2006年VOA标准英语-S. Africa's Mbeki Visits Italy to Strength

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
21 March 2006

South African President Thabo Mbeki began a three-day state visit to Italy aimed at strengthening relations in order to speed economic growth. His first meeting Tuesday was with his Italian counterpart, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

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Thabo Mbeki, left, and Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi attend welcome ceremony at Quirinale presidential palace in Rome   
  

South African President Thabo Mbeki began his three-day visit to Italy with a meeting at the presidential palace with his Italian counterpart, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. After the talks in Mr. Ciampi's private study, the Italian president said his vision is that of Africa growing alongside Europe.

Mr. Ciampi said the meeting was an opportunity to reaffirm Italian and European determination to build a strong and lasting¹ partnership² with Africa, to help it reach its targets of development, favor its entry into markets and to jointly³ manage migratory⁴ flows.

The Italian president said Europeans and Africans are together prepared to face the challenges of a global society in which no one can win alone. He said the challenges include the intolerable gap between the industrialized and developing worlds, the fight against hunger and disease, the threat of terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and the indiscriminate exploitation of the planet's resources.

Mr. Ciampi also said South Africa represents the new face of Africa, which strives towards democracy, responsibility integration⁵ and regional cooperation. The South African government, he added, is committed in patient mediation⁶ efforts in the still existing numerous conflicts and in the strengthening of pan-African institutions.

Mr. Mbeki said this visit marked a further step forward in relations between Italy and South Africa and an opportunity to renew attention to the promotion⁷ of economic ties. The South African president is traveling with his wife and a delegation⁸ that includes the ministers of foreign affairs and trade and industry.

Mr. Mbeki said it was a special day in his country today.

"Our visit, Mr. President, commences on South Africa's Human Rights Day, a particularly historic day in our country, and as you are aware Mr. President, March 21st 1960 was a watershed⁹ day in our history, which was when 69 people were killed in a cold-blooded way by the apartheid police for protesting against the dehumanizing past laws," he said.

Mr. Mbeki's visit follows one by the Italian president to South Africa in March 2002. Mr. Ciampi said frequent contacts between the two countries confirm their friendship. He said all the conditions are in place for significant prospects¹⁰ of collaboration¹¹.

Italy is one of South Africa's top 10 trading partners.

Mr. Mbeki is meeting in Rome with businessmen from both countries. He is also expected to hold talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni.

1 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。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

4 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

5 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

6 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

7 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

8 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

9 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。