2007年VOA标准英语-Aga Khan Inaugurates New Health Sciences Facult

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
13 August 2007

Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki (R) receiving The Aga Khan at the State House in Nairobi, 13 Aug 2007

The Aga Khan is on a 12-day visit across East Africa to celebrate 50 years as the leader of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims. As Nick Wadhams reports, his first stop was Nairobi, where he is meeting with government leaders and hundreds of his followers¹.

The Aga Khan inherited his title from his grandfather when he was 20 years old. Upon arriving in Nairobi, he was greeted by Kenya's foreign minister as well as traditional dancers. Hundreds of Ismailis showed up to greet him.

In a morning meeting, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki praised the Aga Khan for financing projects that he said had helped thousands of farmers along the Kenyan coast.

In the afternoon, the Aga Khan attended a ceremony at the university hospital that bears his name to inaugurate a new health sciences facility.

During the hospital event on Monday, the Aga Khan lamented² the state of education across the developing world and said it was private universities like the Aga Khan's that could help alleviate³ those problems.

"It should be said in all candor⁴ that the recent history of higher education in numerous less-developed countries has been discouraging," he said.  "Some African countries which had strong institutions of higher learning at the time of their independence now find themselves unable to achieve even minimum global standards."

On hand at the ceremony was Kenya's education minister, George Saitoti, who watched as the plans for the new faculty⁵ were unveiled. He said the Kenyan government was trying to expand Kenya's university system, which can only accommodate about 25 percent of students who want higher education.

"This ground breaking ceremony could not have come at a better time, when the ministry⁶ of education is currently involved in an elaborate program that is aimed at increasing access to university education," said Saitoti. "Our public universities are able to absorb only about 10,000 students each year. This has been as a result of the limited infrastructure⁷ to accommodate those who qualify."

The Aga Khan will next go to Mombasa to lay the foundation stone for a residential⁸ campus of the Aga Khan Academy.

In the last 40 years, the Aga Khan has overseen⁹ a massive growth in the development agencies he oversees¹⁰. His agencies' work includes education, promoting entrepreneurship, and promoting culture and history.

1 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

2 lamented   

adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• her late lamented husband 她那令人怀念的已故的丈夫
• We lamented over our bad luck. 我们为自己的不幸而悲伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

4 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

5 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

9 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

10 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网