VOA标准英语2009年-US Prepared to Give Further Aid to Somali

The State Department's top Africa envoy¹ said Thursday the Obama administration is prepared to provide more military help to Somalia's embattled Transitional Federal Government, the TFG. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton begins a seven-nation Africa trip next week that will include a Nairobi meeting with the TFG President, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

The Obama administration is making clear its readiness to continue helping² the Somali administration fend³ off an offensive by hard-line Islamic rebels with alleged⁴ ties to al-Qaida, and it is renewing its call on Eritrea to cease its aid to the militants⁵.

The comments from Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson came as Secretary of State Clinton prepared to leave next Monday on an ambitious 11-day, seven nation African tour that will focus on problem issues including Somalia and political trouble in Zimbabwe.

The United States has in recent weeks provided about 40 tons of ammunition⁶ and supplies to the transitional Somali government, which is under siege by insurgent⁷ groups led by the al-Shabab militia⁸, which is viewed by the U.S. as a terrorist group.

Briefing reporters on the Clinton trip, Carson said the TFG, which has the support of the African Union and its peacekeeping mission AMISOM, offers the best chance for restoring stability in Somalia and he made clear the United States is ready to continue its military support.

"Yes, we are prepared to provide additional assistance to the TFG government. Yes, we are prepared to continue to support AMISOM, which has Ugandan and Burundian troops on the ground. And yes, we are prepared to work with the EGAD states and the AU in finding solutions to the problem of Somalia," he said.

Carson, echoing comments made to a congressional panel Wednesday by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, criticized Eritrea for supporting al-Shabab and trying to undermine the TFG.

"The Eritrean government has not played a positive role in helping to resolve the problem. Somalia is a place where they have been spoilers," he said. "We would hope that they would cease and desist their support for al-Shabab, that they would not allow their county to be used as a safe haven⁹ or a conduit or vehicle for moving people, munitions¹⁰ or money into the hands of the extremists in Somalia.

Clinton will meet the TFG leader during a busy first stop of her trip, in Nairobi, that includes meetings with leaders of both main parties in Kenya's national unity¹¹ government, and a conference of the U.S.-African trade-promotion grouping, AGOA.

She then visits South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and the island state of Cape¹² Verde on a mission to advance the themes of President Obama's policy message in Ghana earlier this month of U.S. support for African democratization, economic growth and conflict-resolution.

Carson said the political situation in Zimbabwe will be a key issue for Clinton in South Africa and that she would encourage that country to press Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to fully¹³ implement¹⁴ his power-sharing accord with former opposition¹⁵ leader and now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangerai.

He said Clinton would urge Nigeria and Angola to combat corruption¹⁶ and build transparency in their economies, but he said, she does not intend to "lecture" those countries, which have emerged as key U.S. energy suppliers.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

7 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

8 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。

9 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

10 munitions   

n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品

参考例句：

• The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
• He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。

11 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

12 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 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。

15 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。

16 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。