VOA标准英语2012--Africa Leaders Optimistic about Future of Continent

Africa Leaders Optimistic about Future of Continent

Delegates to the summit came from various African countries and from World Bank, African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program.

Addressing the participants, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said the continent has been portrayed¹ by the Western powers as a ‘lost continent’ due to ethnic² conflicts and poverty.

"In the 1980s," he said, "Sub Saharan Africa faced gloomy macro-economic and development prospects³, stagnant⁴ economies and endemic poverty, therefore fueling talk in some quarters as the lost decade while the continent was portrayed as a hopeless one. This was in spite of Africa’s vast wealth of natural resources most of which is suffering from the deterioration⁵ of unfair trade practices that came with settler colonialism and appetite for its endowment."

But with the rise of China and other emerging economies in Asia, Mugabe says Africa’s growth is now on an upward curve. He praised the African Capacity Building Foundation for working to improve Africa’s human and institutional capacity..

"This trend only bottomed up when China took off as an emerging economy, and now as a rising superpower," he said. "The African Capacity Building Foundation was created in 1991… I am happy to learn that the ABCF has grown to be a trusted leader in building capacity for Africa’s success in sustainable growth and poverty eradication⁶."

Established 20 years ago, the ACBF aims to build to strengthen Africa’s governments and business communities so sustainable growth and poverty reduction will be possible.

With barely three years to go before the deadline for the Millennium⁷ Development Goals, delegates at the meeting emphasized the role of capacity in Africa’s development agenda.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti told participants that a new African narrative⁸ was emerging.

"I think over the years you have seen a new Africa coming with numbers of wars reducing, the number of conflicts reducing and a number of democratic elections increasing," he said.

Dr. Frannie Leautier, the Foundation’s Executive Secretary, said since its creation, ACBF has supported projects and programs in 45 African countries, including Zimbabwe.

"In the past 20 years, the Foundation has invested more than 500 million US dollars in capacity development in Africa," she said. "Its action has been most visible and successful in the area of economic policy analysis and management through its support of think-tanks and policy institutes. Across the continent, ACBF has nurtured⁹ the growth of these institutes from cradle to current performing organizations."

The theme of the anniversary was ‘The Future of Africa is Now: The Critical Role of Capacity Development.’ The event included a series of learning and knowledge sharing events in several other cities across Africa, including Tunis (Tunisia), Kigali (Rwanda), Malabo (Equitorial Guinea) and Arusha, Tanzania. Similar events were also held in Paris, France. 

1 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

4 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

5 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

6 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

7 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

8 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

9 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。