VOA标准英语2010年-South Africans Urged to Take Collectiv

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has urged South Africans to take collective responsibility to reduce the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Motlanthe was speaking at an event to mark World AIDS Day.

Speaking on a walkabout among poor families affected¹ by HIV/AIDS in Mpumulanga province, Motlanthe said it is time for South Africans to begin speaking with family, friends and colleagues about the disease and act to care for those infected and affected by the disease.

Motlanthe said this would help in addressing stigma² and discrimination associated with HIV and usher³ in a society where respect and equality become a way of life.

Motlanthe and health officials handed out care packages to families in the impoverished⁴ community of Driefontein where he visited four homes in which grandmothers care for children orphaned⁵ by AIDS.

In the past year South Africa has more than doubled, to $4.9 billion, its expenditures⁶ on treatment and prevention, and has the largest treatment program in the world. These measures are starting to bear fruit - the prevalence among pregnant women has stabilized⁷, and there are also fewer new infections in the 15-to-25-year age group.

But 2.8 million people in South Africa are thought to be HIV-positive, and experts are warning that even with the best prevention programs, as many as 5 million more will be infected during the next decade. They also warn that at this rate, comprehensive treatment will become unsustainable. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told national radio this presents a severe challenge for the future.

"The fact that the number of people who are positive is still very high; the fact that the co-infection rate - that means the number of, the percentage of people who have got both TB and HIV - the fact that it is the highest in the world; the fact we [still have] 70,000 children born HIV-positive every year; [all of this] means there is still a battle in front of us," said Motsoaledi.

In June, the government launched a program to counsel and test 15 million South Africans by June next year. About 5.5 million have since been tested, leaving just six months to do 10 million more. The government hopes that if more people know their HIV status, efforts to encourage behavior changes to reduce infections, will yield better results.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

3 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

4 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

6 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》