2007年VOA标准英语-Donors Gather in Paris To Offer Aid to Lebanon

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
25 January 2007

Lebanon is set to reap millions of dollars in aid Thursday, when representatives from some 35 Western and Middle Eastern countries meet for a donors²' conference in Paris. From the French capital, Lisa Bryant has more on the meeting, which takes place amid continuing unrest in the Middle Eastern country.

The pledges were pouring in even before Thursday's donor¹ meeting began in Paris. The European Union said the 27-member block will pledge $522 million in assistance and loans to Lebanon. French President Jacques Chirac, who is chairing the donors meeting, said France would offer a $650 million loan to the strife-torn country.

Meeting with reporters at the American Embassy in Paris Wednesday, U.S.

Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch said the United

States would also offer a generous assistance package to Lebanon.

"Traditionally, American assistance to Lebanon, if we look back over the last five, six years, has averaged between $30 million and $40 million a year," said David Welch. "You can expect an American pledge tomorrow that will be many multiples of that."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the United States will pledge almost $770 million for Lebanon's reconstruction³. Last year, Washington pledged $230 million to help Lebanon's reconstruction after fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based militia⁴ group Hezbollah.

News reports suggest that most of this year's assistance will go to repaying

Lebanon's staggering debt, with only part of the sum going to reconstruction efforts after last summer's war. The international assistance is also designed to shore up the government of Lebanon's embattled prime minister, Fuad Siniora.

France's President Jacques Chirac (r) with Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in Paris

Mr. Siniora arrived in Paris Wednesday, where he met with French President

Jacques Chirac, before holding a news conference later in the day.

The Lebanese prime minister said the Paris conference and the donations that come out of it will benefit all Lebanese, not just the government.

But while the Siniora government has broad international support, it faces strong opposition⁵ at home. The Hezbollah militia, which has been working with other political groups in Lebanon to topple the Siniora government. Hezbollah has offered millions of dollars in assistance to ordinary Lebanese affected⁶ by last year's clashes with Israel. Hezbollah also has support from other Lebanese opposition parties, both Muslim and Christian⁷ groups, which accuse the prime minister of corruption⁸ and criticize him as a pawn⁹ of the West.

The opposition to the Siniora government has taken a violent turn. A paralyzing, day-long strike staged by Hezbollah supporters Tuesday left three people dead and scores of others injured. Anti- and pro-government factions¹¹ clashed again Wednesday in the Lebanese city of Tripoli.

U.S. Assistant Secretary Welch says the Paris conference aims to show support for a government that is working in the best interests of all Lebanese.

"What is important here is that you have a government in Lebanon that is forward focused, that looks to the future," he said. "That wants to help the people of Lebanon build a stronger economic and political basis for their society. And this is what the international community hopes to support - not the negative message by those who were burning tires on the streets today or yesterday, or launching wars last summer. That is not a message or hope or progress for the people of Lebanon.

But some analysts¹², such as Judith Cahen, say Lebanon needs much more help from the international community than just a donors' conference.

A Middle East specialist at the French Institute for International Affairs in Paris, Cahen says that foreign powers can help Lebanon by offering cash.

But it is already the third Lebanon donor's conference in Paris since 1998 - and another took place in Stockholm last August. While Lebanon is in a catastrophic financial situation, Cahen says, it is not certain that another donors' conference will help Lebanon get out of its economic and political impasse¹³.

Cahen suggests the international community should also facilitate a dialogue among Lebanon's clashing political groups. The main facilitators might include members of the so-called Middle East quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations.

For his part, Prime Minister Siniora shows no sign of giving in to the opposition's calls for him to step down. Siniora says his government was democratically elected. Rather, he called for negotiations¹⁴ between Lebanon's quarrelling factions. Only through dialogue, he said, can Lebanon's problems be solved.

1 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。

2 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》

3 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。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 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。

7 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

8 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。

9 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

10 anti-   

pref.[前缀]表示反抗，排斥

参考例句：

• The car has many safety features,including anti - skid braking.这车配有许多特别安全装置，包括防滑制动器。
• The anti-aircraft units opened fire and hit two of the enemy planes.防空部队开炮，击中了两架敌机。

11 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。