VOA标准英语2011--South Sudan Facing Many Challenges as Ne

As south Sudan prepares for nationhood in a few months, leaders in government, civil society and the donor¹ community are struggling with the many needs of what is soon to be Africa's newest state. They agree that the challenges are enormous, but differ over the most important priority when asked the question during a recent visit to Juba.
A series of interviews with leaders involved in southern Sudan's reconstruction² showed considerable knowledge of the challenges ahead for the fledgling nation, but differences of opinion over the number one priority.
Many priorities
Sarah Johnson, an official with the Carter Center, which engages in democracy building, election monitoring and other activities, said the priorities are many.
"The basics [are] of making sure that it's a stable, peaceful state and focusing on the basic building blocks of education and health services, and really expanding the basic government services out into the regions," said Johnson.
The head of Juba University, Aggrey Abate³, said developing agriculture will be vital for a country where only four percent of the arable⁴ land is under cultivation⁵ and millions of people need food aid to survive.
He said his university can play a major role in this effort.
"Agriculture is a very important area," said Abate. "And we, as an institution, will have the role of producing those [graduates] who will come out and work in the agricultural sector⁶, in terms of the necessary interventions⁷ that need to be made to improve our food security."
Training, education
William Deng heads the De-Mobilization Commission that is overseeing the return of 90,000 former fighters to civilian⁸ life. He said training and education will be vital to the de-militarization of society.
"Most of the soldiers that have come out [of the army] are not educated. They don't have skills. The skill they only know is soldiering. Now, you must train them with life skills, such as carpentry, making bricks and also small agriculture, or micro-financing," said Deng.
Infrastructure⁹
An economist¹⁰ with the Frederich Ebert Stiftung Foundation in Juba, Mou Ambrose Thiik, said a major priority is to build up the new nation's infrastructure.
South Sudan, roughly the size of France, has only 50 kilometers of paved roads and almost no public electrical power. It also lacks public water and sanitation¹¹ systems.
Thiik said the new nation has the mineral resources and international support to build these structures but the process must be well-managed.
"The major priority is to set the governance right. It's very important because that will set up a very good foundation for the democratic system we would like to have in southern Sudan," said Thiik.
He noted¹² that the lack of skilled public servants slows the delivery of government services, especially at the local level. He said capacity building is needed through training programs and the recruitment of skilled southern Sudanese living abroad.
Transparency
International donors¹³ said they are eager to aid the construction of Africa's newest nation. But the U.S. Consul-General in Juba, Barrie Walkley, said donors, like the southern Sudanese people, want to see results.
"The government needs to concentrate on the transparency issue, to be honest with the people, to tell the people how much money is available, where the resources are and how that money is being spent."
The head of the United Nations Mission in southern Sudan, David Gressley, said the government must make great efforts to address the high expectations of a people experiencing freedom following decades of marginalization.
"The government will have to be very honest about what they can and cannot do. They will have to also demonstrate visibly that they're dealing¹⁴ with internal issues of mismanagement, corruption¹⁵, etc. They need to be able to show that they are tackling those problems, so that people believe that if they're not getting something today in terms of services, that they will in the near future," said Gressley.
Gressley noted that parts of south Sudan continue to experience security threats, which he blames primarily on traditional conflicts and the lack of administrative¹⁶ structures to deal with them.
He said these eventually will be resolved, though, as long as they are not used by political leaders to advance personal agendas.

1 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

2 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。

3 abate   

vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退

参考例句：

• We must abate the noise pollution in our city.我们必须消除我们城里的噪音污染。
• The doctor gave him some medicine to abate the powerful pain.医生给了他一些药，以减弱那剧烈的疼痛。

4 arable   

adj.可耕的，适合种植的

参考例句：

• The terrain changed quickly from arable land to desert.那个地带很快就从耕地变成了沙漠。
• Do you know how much arable land has been desolated?你知道什么每年有多少土地荒漠化吗？

5 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

8 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

9 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。

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

15 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。

16 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。