2006年VOA标准英语-Tanzania's President Talks About Economy, Regio

By Carolyn Weaver¹
Nigeria
14 August 2006
 
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Tanzanians elected Jakaya Kikwete president last December. He is the second president elected since the East African state transitioned to multi-party democracy in 1992. President Kikwete spoke² to VOA during a visit to Nigeria, where he was attending a conference of Africans and African-Americans.

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President Jakaya Kikwete: 

		Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete

"A stable democratic environment itself creates possibilities for stable economic growth. And this is what we have been witnessing, since we started economic reforms in 1986. To date, we are on record performing well, the economy's doing fine, we have been able to attain³ high growth rates. Last year we recorded 6.9 percent. Of course, because of the drought and the effect the drought has had on the agricultural sector⁴, we think the growth rate is going to come down this year…

The greatest challenge has always been, and continues to be, the fight against poverty and under-development. Of course, on the one side, we've been trying to improve on the provision of social and economic services, like health services, build more dispensaries, health centers, hospitals.  The other we've been trying to deal with [is] the provision of water, both in the rural and urban areas, which is a major problem. And in the rural areas, it’s one of those problems that really tortures the women. We've also been trying to look into interventions⁵ to encourage or promote industrialization in the country -- increase production, and productivity, create more jobs for the people. 

		President Kikwete has been in office since December, 2005

One of the things I think is going to be Tanzania's contribution to the A.C. [African community] is putting efforts in our own development. But the other is: One of Africa's problems is peace, stability -- or the lack of peace and instability. We have had a track record of peace and stability in the country, and we are surrounded by a neighborhood that has gone through a lot of turmoil⁶. So one contribution we can make is to help our neighbors build peace, peace-building in the neighborhood. Of course we have done that in the crisis in Rwanda. We have done that with Burundi. We are continuing that now. We've done that with the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo]. So, this is our modest contribution that we have made.

The thing that I find as a personal challenge is that I want, after I complete my term of office, that the people of Tanzania say that they have benefited from my being president. That I found them here, and I leave them here, instead of finding them here and leaving them there, behind. That's the only thing I consider as a major challenge to me that is very personal."

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 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。

3 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

6 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。