2007年VOA标准英语-Liberia to Resume Diamond Trade

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
02 May 2007

Liberia has announced it will again export diamonds, using the profits to finance reconstruction¹, instead of conflict, as was the case in the past. But experts caution that transparency is still crucially important, and diamond profits may not be the panacea² Liberia hopes. Naomi Schwarz has the story from our regional bureau in Dakar, with additional reporting by Prince Collins in Liberia.

The Hollywood film Blood Diamond brought the issue of conflict diamonds to the big screen and renewed international attention.

But, in the meantime, in West Africa, where much of the illicit³ trade and bloody⁴ conflicts took place, governments and international bodies are working to ensure that the problem is in the past.

The latest development comes from Liberia, which suffered from a decades-long civil war. In 2001, the United Nations placed an embargo⁵ on diamonds coming from Liberia, in a bid to stop the trade and cut off funding for warlords.

"Many people profited from the diamond wars, and I think that Liberia was primarily used as a conduit for diamonds coming from Sierra Leone," said Annie Dunnebacke, an expert on the African diamond trade from the UK-based watchdog Global Witness.

But the war in Liberia has ended, and the new president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, says she wants to use diamond profits to help repair the damage the warlords wrought⁶.

President Johnson Sirleaf cuts the ribbon at a new diamond office

On Tuesday, Ms. Johnson Sirleaf announced the opening of 10 new diamond screening and evaluation⁷ offices across the country.

Liberian Minister of Land, Mines, and Energy, Eugene Shannon, was on hand to assure observers that the Liberian diamond trade is entering a new phase.

"The government will do all in its power to stop diamonds from entering and leaving our borders illegally. We must combat smuggling⁸ because it robs every Liberian of a decent chance to share in our national wealth," said Shannon.

Four days earlier, the U.N. lifted its ban on Liberian diamonds, after a Security Council vote prompted by the United States.

Liberian officials have pledged to follow what is known as the Kimberley Process, which is meant to document every step of a diamond's journey from mine to consumer. The process was established several years ago, but has been difficult to implement⁹ because there are many players, and processing diamonds involves many steps.

Global Witness's Dunnebacke says international observers are cautiously optimistic for Liberia's prospects¹⁰ in the diamond trade.

"We are certainly hoping that there will be a positive impact from this and that certainly some revenues will be coming back to the government, but Liberian diamond production is not huge and there are quite a few costs associated with running the diamond exportation industry, so I am afraid that the windfalls might not materialize to the point the government is saying they will," said Dunnebacke.

She says she hopes the government is not raising expectations too high.

She also says it is very important to maintain a dedication¹¹ to transparency so the Liberian public is aware of the revenues generated and knows where they are being spent.

1 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。

2 panacea   

n.万灵药；治百病的灵药

参考例句：

• Western aid may help but will not be a panacea. 西方援助可能会有所帮助，但并非灵丹妙药。
• There's no single panacea for the country's economic ills. 国家经济弊病百出,并无万灵药可以医治。

3 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

4 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

5 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

6 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

7 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

8 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

9 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。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。