VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Cites Progress at G8, Raises Questio

U.S. President Barack Obama says progress was made at the just ended Group of Eight Summit in Italy. But at the same time, he is raising questions about the future of the G8, saying it must become more inclusive.
　
US President Barack Obama speaks during press conference at roup of Eight (G8) summit in L'Aquila, Italy, 10 Jul 2009

This was Barack Obama's first G8 summit. And he gave the meeting a mixed report card.

He said there was progress in areas ranging from the global economy to climate change. But he admits he is not sure if this small grouping of eight traditional industrial powerhouses remains¹ a proper venue² for discussions of global problems.

Speaking to reporters just after the formal sessions ended, Mr. Obama said there was a consensus³ on the need for further reforms to repair the global economy. He said discussions on climate change helped improve the chances for international negotiations⁴ later this year. And he took pride in a new $20 billion initiative to fight hunger in Africa by spurring agriculture.

"We do not view this assistance as an end in itself," President Obama said. "We believe that the purpose of aid must be to create the conditions where it is no longer needed."

African development was the dominant⁵ theme of the final day of the summit. And throughout the session Mr. Obama stressed the need for Africans to take a greater stake in determining their own future.

He spoke⁶ of the need for governments to be more responsive to their people, and to create the kinds of institutions that can ensure needs are met.

President Obama told the gathering⁷ it is an issue he takes personally, citing the experiences of his own family. He reminded the summit participants that when his father left Kenya decades ago to study in the United States, the Kenyan economy was growing at a faster pace than South Korea.

"My father traveled to the United States from Kenya a mere⁸ fifty years ago and yet now I have family members who live in villages - they themselves are not going hungry - but they live in villages where hunger is real," the president said.

During the session with reporters, Mr. Obama was also asked about the formal G8 statement on Iran, and indications prior to the summit that it might include a call for sanctions.

The president denied that was ever the case, and said he was pleased with the language approved by the G8.

"What we wanted is exactly what we got which is a statement of unity⁹ and strong condemnation¹⁰ about the appalling¹¹ treatment of peaceful protestors post-election in Iran as well as some behavior that just violates basic international norms," he said.

This was President Obama's fourth major international summit in as many months. And as he prepared to leave the talks in the central Italian city of L'Aquila, he admitted it was a bit much.

He wondered aloud if the membership of the G8 is too restrictive, saying it is time to re-evaluate the need for institutions that emerged - as he put it - "in another time and place."

"To have entire continents like Africa and Latin America not adequately represented in these major international forums¹² and decision making bodies is not going to work," President Obama said.

Mr. Obama ended his news conference with a quick goodbye in Italian and hurried to a waiting helicopter for Rome and a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.

From there, he heads to Ghana for his first trip to Africa as president of the United States.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

3 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

9 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

10 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

11 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

12 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。