VOA标准英语2009年-US Looks to Expand Development Aid to Stra

The Obama administration is signaling its intention to keep Ethiopia as a key strategic partner, despite concerns about the country's slide toward authoritarianism¹. The United States is seeking to expand development assistance to the Ethiopian government.

Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew is making his first trip to East Africa at a time of increasing regional instability.

The United States last week announced it had sent a $10-million shipment of weapons to help shore up the besieged² government of Somalia, while accusing neighboring Eritrea of being behind violence aimed at undermining the Somali peace process.

Regional power Ethiopia sent troops in 2006 to prop³ up the fragile government in Mogadishu, but pulled them out earlier this year, and has expressed a reluctance⁴ to return without strong backing from the international community.

Secretary Lew's stop in Addis Ababa included an hour-long talk with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Afterward⁵, he told reporters the United States sees Ethiopia as an important strategic ally.

"The deep relationship between the United States and Ethiopia is based on a number of shared values, shared concerns," said Lew. "The strategic relationship remains⁶ a very important one, and we value it. I think it is mutually valued by the government of Ethiopia and the government of the United States."

"So I think we look to a future where we will be able to continue to work together not on just fighting common forces in the world that we think are a threat to each of us, but on a broader agenda where we can make a lasting⁷ difference in the quality of life in the life of the Ethiopian people, and by analogy people in many other countries to which we provide foreign assistance," he added.

The United States last year gave more than $1 billion in aid to Ethiopia, most of it in emergency food assistance, and practically all the rest in programs to fight HIV/AIDS and Malaria⁸. Lew says the Obama administration is looking to broaden the program to include development aid.

"The form assistance that has become the predominant form of assistance is provision of emergency food supplies," he said. "We think there need to be increased resources available and an increased share of resources going into sustainable development."

While maintaining the deep bilateral⁹ relationship, Secretary Lew says the Obama administration is worried about what is seen as a "closing of political space" in Ethiopia since the controversial 2005 elections. During his talk with Prime Minister Meles, Lew says he made a point of raising the issue of imprisoned¹⁰ Ethiopian opposition¹¹ leader Birtukan Mideksa.

"I reinforced our concern that the matter be resolved quickly and finally," he said.

Lew says he also expressed concern about two laws recently passed by Ethiopia's parliament, one restricting activities of foreign-funded non-governmental organizations, the other limiting press freedom.

"The concerns we raised were the issues of openness that relate to NGOs and freedom of expression remain concerns to us," he said. "We made that point clear again."

Lew said his discussions with Prime Minister Meles also touched on a proposed new anti-terrorism law. The group Human Rights Watch issued a statement Tuesday saying the draft law could define criticism of the government as a "terrorist act" and be used to crack down on the opposition.

1 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

2 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

3 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

4 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

5 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

6 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。

7 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

8 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

9 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

10 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

11 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。