VOA标准英语201`4--Obama Administration Asks Congress for $6B to Fight Ebola in Africa

 

Obama Administration Asks Congress for $6B to Fight Ebola in Africa

CAPITOL HILL— 

The administrator¹ of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Rajiv Shah and other senior U.S. officials testified before a congressional panel Thursday about the international reaction to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  Shah called on Congress to approve President Obama’s request for $6.2 billion in emergency funding to combat the deadly disease.  

As the suffering in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea continues, with some 3,000 active cases of Ebola reported now, the House Foreign Affairs Committee praised the U.S. response to the crisis.  But some lawmakers accused the World Health Organization of incompetence², including Ed Royce, the Republican committee chairman.

He warned that the world still has a lot to do.

“What has worked in the past to block Ebola obviously is breaking the chain of transmission.  But without us doing that, Ebola will continue to spill across borders, and economies will be devastated³ in Africa, governments will fail, tens of thousands will die," said Royce.

Most members said they support providing the emergency funding the Obama administration is asking for, and also called on countries around the world to step up their efforts.  Ranking member Democrat⁴ Eliot Engel:

“As I have said, the U.S. cannot meet this challenge alone.  Ebola is a global challenge requiring a global response.  Fortunately, international efforts to control the epidemic⁵ in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea have increased both in terms of financial support and on-the-ground assistance." said Engel.

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said he had met with 65 burial teams on his recent visit to Liberia, and that these efforts are really helping⁶ to bring down the number of new infections in that country.  

He said the U.S. is also reviewing new options for protective suits for health care workers, because they are at greatest risk of contracting the virus when taking off the protective gear.

But Shah rejected calls from Royce and others for a travel ban on people from the most-affected countries.

“And I think we are convinced that America is the signal decision-maker.  If we isolate⁷ these countries, the rest of the world will isolate these countries, and that will create a much different epidemic curve. And we will all have to come back here and discuss how are we going to handle many, many additional cases than what we are looking at now," said Shah.

Shah said the international community should also be prepared for the Ebola outbreak to be followed by a hunger crisis in the region and get ready to provide quick relief.

1 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。

2 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

3 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

4 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

5 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。

6 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。

7 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。