VOA标准英语2015--Obama Calls Home US Ebola Workers

Obama Calls Home US Ebola Workers

WHITE HOUSE—

President Barack Obama, noting the decline in the number of new Ebola cases in West Africa, said Wednesday that nearly all of the remaining 1,300 American troops currently fighting the outbreak in the affected¹ countries would return home.

At the height of the epidemic², some 2,800 U.S. military personnel were deployed³ to West Africa to help contain the virus, which so far has claimed more than 9,000 lives in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Now, nearly five months after Obama committed troops to help stem the outbreak, he said all but 100 would be home by April 30.

The announcement was made "not to declare mission accomplished⁴, but to mark a transition," Obama said. "Thanks to the hard work of our nearly 3,000 troops who deployed to West Africa, logistics have been set up, Ebola treatment units have been built [and] over 1,500 African health workers have been trained.”

Flanked by health care workers, members of the U.S. military and Ebola survivors⁵, Obama thanked those on the front lines of the fight and emphasized that while the United States was winding⁶ down its military response, it was expanding its civilian⁷ response.

In the 10 months since the first American personnel deployed to West Africa, the president said, the U.S. has helped treat Ebola patients, trace their contacts, promote safe burials and galvanized the international response.

He said the number of new cases in the region had gone from nearly a 1,000 a week in October to roughly 150 per week today.

“Our focus now is getting to zero," Obama said. "Because as long as there is even one case of Ebola that’s active out there, risks still exist.  Every case is an ember that, if not contained, can light a new fire.”

This message was reinforced this week by Dr. David Nabarro, the U.N. special envoy⁸ on Ebola, while referencing a recent uptick of new cases in Guinea.

“The outbreak still presents a grave threat," he said, "and we really hope that there will be no complacency in anybody involved in the response.”

Nabarro said that in addition to getting the number of cases and transmissions to zero, affected countries would also have to focus on rebuilding their economies and their health systems.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

7 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。

8 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。