VOA标准英语2013--US Presidents Seek Broader Ties to Africa

 

US Presidents Seek Broader Ties to Africa

Obama’s trip to Africa is the latest in a list of visits by American presidents going back 70 years.

Allan Lichtman is a presidential historian and professor at American University.

“So by going to Africa, presidents demonstrate that Africa is not forgotten; that the African people and the African nations are important to the American people and to American policy makers,” he said.

While many presidential visits have focused on humanitarian¹ aid, Obama is focusing on trade, investment and democracy.

Jennifer Cooke of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said Obama is looking to the future.

“Moving beyond some of that long-time commitment on humanitarian issues to a much more upbeat and forward looking engagement that a lot of young people in Africa are looking for,” said Cooke.

President Franklin Roosevelt made trips to North Africa during World War II to meet with allies, including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In 1943 the leaders met in Casablanca and later that year in Cairo to discuss strategy for the wars in Europe and the Pacific.

President Jimmy Carter visited Nigeria and Liberia in 1978.

As a former president, Carter has made many trips to Africa, focusing on diseases, such as river blindness and malaria². The Carter Center’s campaign to eliminate Guinea worm disease is hailed as a major success.

Another former president, Bill Clinton, used his foundation to sponsor humanitarian projects in Africa.

“So you can actually, immediately and directly see the results of your initiatives in Africa. That is more difficult in other parts of the world,” said Professor Lichtman.

Health care experts say George W. Bush’s initiative to fight HIV and AIDS in Africa has saved millions of lives. Since leaving office, Bush and his wife Laura have remained active in African health issues.

Helping³ people in Africa resonates in a positive way at home.

“It is not only the presidents, it is the U.S. public and U.S. Congress, I think, that sees itself as doing those kinds of things in the world - a moral force for good,” said Cooke.

And that is a legacy⁴ many leaders seek. 

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 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。

3 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。

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。