2006年VOA标准英语-President Bush Promotes Global Literacy Program

By Michael Bowman
Washington
18 September 2006

Laura Bush (left) and President Bush

President Bush is promoting literacy as a key to prosperity and liberty around the world. The president and Mrs. Bush spoke¹ in New York Monday at a global literacy event sponsored by the White House.

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His schedule over the next two days includes an address before the United Nation's General Assembly as well as meetings with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and several other heads of government.

But Mr. Bush kicked off his trip to New York by accompanying First Lady Laura Bush to the White House Conference on Global Literacy. The president said no nation that has high illiteracy² rates can attain³ prosperity. "In order to be an informed consumer, you have to read. In order to be able to take advantage of jobs that may come to your country as a result of expanding economic opportunity, you have got to read. In order to be a productive worker, you need to be able to read the manual. And so part of the practical application of this initiative is to encourage prosperity by enhancing people's capacity to read," he said.

Also at the conference were officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Education, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The agencies will be joining forces with their counterparts from nations around the world, as well as the United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to hold a series of regional conferences to discuss effective means of promoting literacy.

Introducing the president, Mrs. Bush urged all governments to boost literacy rates. Mr. Bush said the ability to read is a prerequisite⁴ for establishing and sustaining free nations. "It is very hard to have free societies if the citizens cannot read. Think about that. You cannot realize the blessings⁵ of liberty if you cannot read a ballot⁶. Or if you cannot read what others are saying about the future of your country," he said.

White House officials say promoting liberty will be a central theme of Mr. Bush's trip to New York. President Bush said the United States will continue to advocate freedom for the people of the world, but will not impose its version of freedom on any nation.

1 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。

2 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

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 prerequisite   

n.先决条件；adj.作为前提的，必备的

参考例句：

• Stability and unity are a prerequisite to the four modernizations.安定团结是实现四个现代化的前提。
• It is a prerequisite of entry to the profession that you pass the exams.做这一行的先决条件是要通过了有关的考试。

5 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。