2006年VOA标准英语-Development Projects Continue in Iraq Desp

By Sonja Pace
Washington
24 February 2006

The head of the U.S. government's development program for Iraq, says projects are going ahead, and progress is being made, despite the insurgency¹ and violence. That assessment² comes amid growing concern about the sectarian violence of the past few days.

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The spotlight³ in Iraq has been less on development and reconstruction⁴ than on the violence. That has been especially true after Wednesday's bombing of a major Shi'ite shrine⁵ in the city of Samarra and the subsequent sectarian violence that left over 200 people dead. 

 

New tractors in Iraq   
  

Dawn Liberi heads the U.S. Agency for International Development's programs in Iraq, and as she spoke⁶ with foreign journalists in Washington, she found herself first addressing the violence. "We extend our condolences to the families of three journalists, who were killed over the last two days, and frankly⁷ to all the people who were killed in this unfortunate incident related to the bombing of the mosque⁸ in Samarra," she said.

The U.S. government has allocated⁹ more than $20 billion for reconstruction and development in Iraq. Just over $5 billion of that is administered by U.S.A.I.D., and that is what Liberi had come to talk about.

She said, while defeating the insurgency remains¹⁰ the priority, reconstruction and development are also vital for Iraq's future.

Liberi said U.S.A.I.D. has been able to maintain its programs throughout the country, despite the violence, largely because local Iraqi organizations actually implement¹¹ the various programs. "So, for the most part, we've actually been quite fortunate, in that our programs have been able to continue," she said.

She did note that security for both American and Iraqi personnel on the ground remains a major concern.

But, Liberi said there has been steady progress with programs in health and education, in helping¹² to establish local governments and an independent media, and in improving and diversifying¹³ the economy. "The Iraqi economy is growing. It was about $27 (billion) to $28 billion last year. It's about $32 (billion) or $33 billion this year. Per capita income has, in fact, tripled over the past two-and-a-half years," she said.

Despite such improvement, U.S. officials have expressed concern over the latest sectarian violence. But President Bush said Friday he remained optimistic the Iraqi people will find a way to work together to resolve differences.

A report by the non-partisan International Crisis Group, or I.C.G., has issued a more dire¹⁴ warning. Speaking with VOA from his office in Amman, Jordan, the group's Middle East director, Joost Hiltermann said Iraq is in a very precarious¹⁵ situation. "I think it will require all effort on the part of Iraq's religious leadership, both Sunni and Shi'a, as well as the political leadership, as well as the U.S. government to find a course out of this very dangerous spiral and to reverse it," he said.

Hiltermann says Iraq could otherwise slide into outright¹⁶ civil war, and that, he says, would have grave consequences beyond the region.

1 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 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。

5 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

6 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。

7 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

8 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

9 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

12 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。

13 diversifying   

v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的现在分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• Some publishers are now diversifying into software. 有些出版社目前正兼营软件。 来自辞典例句
• Silverlit is diversifying into new markets, such as Russia and Eastern Europe. Silverlit正在使他们的市场变得多样化，开发新的市场如俄罗斯和东欧国家。 来自互联网

14 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

15 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

16 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。