VOA标准英语2010年-African Youth Leaders Leave US with Ne

Invited African youth leaders shared ideas for change at the final event of their high-profile stay in Washington, 5 Aug 2010

 

More than 100 youth leaders from across Africa have wrapped up three days of high-profile, high-level meetings in Washington, with hopes for new action and plans to network for positive change on the Internet and at future gatherings¹.

 

The final event for the invited African youth leaders was held at the Newseum.  It was called "The Way Forward."

One of the hosts, Charles Haynes, reminded his guests of the role played by young activists² during the U.S. civil rights campaign.  He gave the example of sit-in protests 40 years ago at lunch counters which did not serve African Americans.

"Who sat in and would not get up, would not leave even though they were spat³ upon, even though they were attacked and called names?  It was young people who had the courage to go there and to do that," said Haynes.

One of the invited panelists and African youth leaders, Patrick Henrico Sam from Namibia, said he learned another history lesson by visiting the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in southeast Washington.  Douglass was an African-American social reformer from the 19th century.

"Yesterday what I learned about Frederick Douglass - I did not know about this man - was somebody came up to him and asked him, after slavery is abolished, 'How do we push this agenda where we are treated as first-class citizens?'  He says one word: 'agitate⁴'.  What? Agitate.  What must I do?  Agitate.  And that is what I have learned by being here and that is what I would like to tell people: Let us agitate, let us push, a little shove.  We are young; that is what we are known for," said Sam.

Sam organizes after-school projects in low-income communities.

During the question-and-answer session, there was talk of a United States of Africa, as well as breaking down established principles.

Mariam Diallo Drame said Africa's institutions should not be cut-and-paste models from those imposed by colonial powers.  She said they should be adapted to Africa's values to be effective.  Drame is the president of a women's leadership group in Bamako, Mali.

She also said that while African women are being emancipated⁵, new laws are needed to help women in the workplace so they can balance work and being a wife and mother.

Student leader Jean-Felix Riva from the Central African Republic warned that without security, all U.S. investment to help Africa would be wasted.  He gave the example of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army now running rampant⁶ in several countries, including his own.

After the event, other participants shared concerns about high unemployment and harder and harder drugs being consumed by Africa's youths in increasingly populated and chaotic⁷ cities.

The events, which included a meeting Tuesday with President Barack Obama, were held as 17 African countries marked 50 years of independence this year.  Mr. Obama said Americans want to see Africans improve governance and their economies, and that the U.S. government wants to help forge new partnerships⁸.

Bernard Akang'o from Kenya, a specialist in human rights, said it was important for Africa's new generation of leaders to take charge and be better than their predecessors⁹.

"If we keep the momentum¹⁰ and try to apply what we eventually learned here back at home, then definitely there must be a difference, because this forum¹¹ was meant to be an eye opener," said Akang'o.

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy¹² and Public Affairs Judith McHale closed the proceedings¹³ by promising¹⁴ another Africa youth leadership event, this time in Africa in early 2011.

She said she hoped many more African youth leaders would take part by having simultaneous events in many countries.  McHale promised there would be more U.S. grants to support youth-driven projects in Africa.  She also urged participants to stay in touch and continue to inspire and motivate each other in their respective endeavors.

 

1 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

4 agitate   

vi.(for,against)煽动，鼓动；vt.搅动

参考例句：

• They sent agents to agitate the local people.他们派遣情报人员煽动当地的民众。
• All you need to do is gently agitate the water with a finger or paintbrush.你只需要用手指或刷子轻轻地搅动水。

5 emancipated   

adj.被解放的，不受约束的v.解放某人（尤指摆脱政治、法律或社会的束缚）( emancipate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Slaves were not emancipated until 1863 in the United States. 美国奴隶直到1863年才获得自由。
• Women are still struggling to be fully emancipated. 妇女仍在为彻底解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

7 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

8 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

9 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

12 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

13 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

14 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。