VOA标准英语2008年-US First Lady Visits Afghanistan To Promote Aid

By Barry Newhouse
Islamabad
08 June 2008

U.S. First Lady Laura Bush has made a surprise trip to Afghanistan to raise awareness¹ of the country's need for development aid before an international donors³ conference this week in Paris. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports on the trip from Islamabad.
　

U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, right, and Governor of the Bamiyan province Habiba Sarabi, left, visit the Police Training Academy in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 08 June 2008

Mrs. Bush's day-long visit was her third to Afghanistan, where she has long championed women's rights and education initiatives. Speaking to reporters while flying to Kabul, the first lady said she hoped her visit would bring awareness to the country's continuing need for international assistance.

"I hope that what we will be able to see today will encourage all of us so that when I go to the donors conference later this week in Paris I can make the case that we need to stay - the whole international community needs to stay with Afghanistan," she said.

From Kabul, Mrs. Bush flew to Bamiyan province to see where two enormous sandstone Buddhas⁴, carved out of a sheer cliff, stood for centuries until they were blown up by the Taliban in 2001. She also met with a group of female police cadets and Bamiyan's governor, Habiba Sorabi, Afghanistan's first female governor.

Mrs. Bush later announced two American aid initiatives for Afghanistan, a $40 million grant over five years for the American University in Kabul and a five-year $40 million package for a national literacy center that mainly teaches adults.

Afghanistan's leaders have high hopes for Thursday's international donor² conference in Paris, where officials have said they hope to raise about $50 billion in reconstruction⁵ funds.

But there are widespread concerns among donors about the Afghan government's ability to responsibly manage those donations.
　

U.S. First Lady Laura Bush (l) speaks during a joint6 press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul, 08 Jun 2008

During a news conference with Mrs. Bush, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was asked to address donor concerns about official corruption⁷ and financial mismanagement.

"The issue of corruption in the Afghan administration, the issue of corruption with regards to the delivery of aid and all of that is something that we constantly discuss with each other, Paris will be one of the true evaluations⁸ in a very friendly manner and of contributions on both sides," said Karzai.

Afghan officials say the bulk of the new donations should be spent on improving infrastructure⁹ and security.

Foreign aid groups in Afghanistan say international donors have pledged about $24 billion to the country since 2002, but only about $15 billion has been delivered. The aid groups say those foreign funds account for 90 percent of all public spending.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

3 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 Buddhas   

n.佛，佛陀，佛像( Buddha的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She called on spirits and Buddhas and made innumerable vows, all to no avail. 她把一切的神佛都喊到了，并且许下多少誓愿，都没有用。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Tibetans identification with the political role of Living Buddhas is declining. 藏新政权的政治舞台中活佛的政治角色处于边缘。 来自互联网

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 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。

7 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。

8 evaluations   

估价( evaluation的名词复数 )； 赋值； 估计价值； [医学]诊断

参考例句：

• In fact, our moral evaluations are merely expressions of our desires. 事实上，我们的道德评价只是我们欲望的表达形式。 来自哲学部分
• Properly speaking, however, these evaluations and insights are not within the concept of official notice. 但准确地讲，这些评估和深远见识并未包括在官方通知概念里。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。