VOA常速英语2017--利比里亚10月10日将选举新政府

Liberia has come a long way since the end of its second civil war in 2003. Since then, the economy grew by more than 7 percent per year, per capita income rose by nearly nine-fold, and life expectancy¹ went from 53 to 61 years.

利比里亚自2003年结束第二次内战以来已经颇有一段时日。自那时开始，利比里亚的经济就以每年7%的速度增长着，其人均收入增长了近9倍，平均寿命也从53岁上升至61岁。

Liberia also made notable progress toward democracy. This includes the nurturing² of a vibrant³ media and active civil society; civil service and public financial management reforms; and the rehabilitation⁴ of infrastructure⁵, said USAID Acting⁶ Assistant Administrator⁷ for Africa Cheryl Anderson.

在民主方面，利比里亚也实现了显著的进步，包括培养富有生机的媒体与活跃的民间社会；公务服务、公共财务管理改革；基础设施的重建等，美国国际开发署非洲事务代理助理署长谢丽尔如是说道。

Over the past 10 years, the United States, Liberia's largest bilateral⁸ donor⁹, has dedicated¹⁰ significant resources to help Liberia remain on a path of democratic governance and stability.

过去的10年里，美国作为利比里亚最大的双边捐献国，已经捐助了许多资源，以助力利比里亚继续追求民主治理与稳定。

Our programs in Liberia address the underlying¹¹ structural¹² and institutional problems that gave rise to fourteen years of civil strife¹³ and war, while at the same time tackling the country's more immediate¹⁴ development needs, said Assistant Administrator Anderson.

我们在利比里亚的项目解决了根本性的结构问题和机制问题，正是这些问题造成了利比里亚内部长达14年的冲突与战争。同时，我们也解决了利比里亚更为紧迫的发展需求，助理署长谢丽尔如是说道。

On October 10th, Liberians will go to the polls to elect a new government. It is an historic election, because if it is successful, it will result in the country's first peaceful democratic transition in more than 70 years. It also will mark a critical milestone¹⁵ in Liberia's progress toward a stable democracy.

10月10日，利比里亚人将进行投票，选举出一个新政府。这是一次历史性的选举，因为如果这次选举成功，就能实现利比里亚70多年来第一次和平的民主过渡。这次选举也将标志着利比里亚朝向稳定民主国家迈进的一次关键里程碑。

However, Liberia's National Elections Commission is facing a number of challenges that could complicate¹⁶ the elections, said Donald Yamamoto, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. This includes poor infrastructure, inadequate¹⁷ funding, and heavy rain that could complicate election logistics.

然而，利比里亚的全国选举委员会正在面临许多挑战，这些挑战会使挑战更加复杂化，非洲事务的代理助理国务卿唐纳德如是说道。其中包括基础设施破败、资金不充足、可能会使选举物流困难的瓢泼大雨。

We are providing comprehensive programming support to the Liberian National Elections Commission, civil society organizations, and media outlets¹⁸ in the run-up to the 2017 elections. In addition, our Ambassador is meeting with candidates running for president to emphasize the importance of peaceful elections, and a transition in government that builds upon the progress made in the last 12 years, he said.

我们正在为利比亚全国选举委员会、民间社会组织、媒体机构在2017年选举之前的准备阶段提供全面的程序性支持。此外，我们的大使正在与总统候选人会晤，以强调和平选举的重要性，并强调政府的过渡是基于过去12年来所取得的进步，他如是说道。

This election is critical, not just for what the transition represents but because it will give Liberians the opportunity to elect a President well-equipped to lead the country towards a peaceful and prosperous future, he said.

这次选举十分重要，不仅对于政府过渡所代表的内涵来说是如此，还因为这次选举将给利比里亚人一个机会，选举出一个有能力引领该国走向和平繁荣未来的总统，他如是说道。

We look to Liberia's election as another positive step forward for democracy in West Africa.

我们将利比里亚的选举视为西非走向民主的另一个积极举措。

1 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

2 nurturing   

养育( nurture的现在分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

3 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

4 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

5 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。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

8 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

9 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。

10 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

11 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

12 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

13 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

14 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

15 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

16 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

17 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

18 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》