2006年VOA标准英语-Laura Bush Proposes International AIDS Tes

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
02 June 2006

The United States is calling for establishment of an international AIDS testing day as a means of controlling the spread of HIV.  U.S. First Lady Laura Bush made the call in an address to a high-level U.N. AIDS conference.

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Mrs. Bush reminded an audience of kings, presidents and prime ministers that, despite important victories in the battle against AIDS, much work remains¹.

She called on governments to improve literacy, and educate citizens to the dangers of the epidemic², and how the virus is transmitted. In the meantime, she urged world leaders to join in establishing an international HIV testing day.

Laura Bush addresses AIDS conference at UN, June 2, 2006  
  
"But life-saving treatment never reaches people, who don't know they're infected," she said.  "So, another challenge is making sure more people know their HIV status.  Here in the United States, June 27 is recognized as National HIV Testing Day. The United States will soon propose the designation of an International HIV Testing Day. I urge all member states to join us in support of this initiative."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his address to the gathering³, described AIDS as "the greatest challenge of our generation." He urged leaders to "step up the fight drastically," or risk missing the goal of halting and reversing the spread of AIDS by 2015.

Kofi Annan    
  
"Friends, we know what it takes to turn the tide against this epidemic," he said.  "It requires every president and prime minister, every parliamentarian and politician to decide and declare that "AIDS stops with me. AIDS stops with me."  It requires real positive change that will give more power and confidence to women and girls, and transform relations between women and men at all levels of society."

Others addressing the day-long session include the presidents of Congo, Rwanda, the Central African Republic, Estonia and El Salvador, the king of Swaziland, as well as the prime ministers of Lesotho, Senegal, Ireland, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Tanzania, and more than 100 other government ministers.

General Assembly President Jan Eliasson told the meeting that negotiators working late into Friday morning had agreed on a political declaration that will serve as a blueprint⁴ for the AIDS fight.

Dr. Peter Piot  
  
U.N. AIDS Director Dr. Peter Piot called on delegates to swiftly approve the document.

"We must conclude this meeting with a resolve that the fight against AIDS will get as high a priority on national and global agendas as you give to promoting economic growth, or maintaining security," he said.  "Nothing less will do, because AIDS is a long-term development crisis, not just a passing emergency that will disappear one fine day."

The final declaration calls for spending $23 billion a year on AIDS by 2010, something that would require many governments to dramatically increase their financial backing.

First Lady Laura Bush reiterated⁵ Washington's commitment Friday, noting that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief provides $15 billion over the next five years.  The plan, known by the acronym PEPFAR, is the largest international health initiative ever undertaken to battle a single disease

1 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。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

5 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。