VOASE0307_Health Report

07 March 2007

New Malaria Drug Coming to Africa Is Low Cost, Easy to Take
ASAQ is the first product from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative. Children will only need one pill, and adults two pills, a day for three days.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A boy waits to be tested for malaria in Mozambique in 2000

Malaria infects as many as five hundred million people worldwide each year and kills more than one million of them. The ones who die are mostly children in southern Africa -- another one every thirty seconds, says the World Health Organization.

Malaria drugs have been available for many years. Until now, however, they have been costly for the poor and not very easy to give to children.

But last week a big drug company and an international campaign announced a new antimalarial that is low cost and easy to take. The drug maker Sanofi-Aventis of France is working in partnership with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative.

The new product is called A-S-A-Q. It combines what experts say are two of the best drugs for malaria: artesunate and amodiaquine. Officials say ASAQ will soon be available throughout Africa south of the Sahara.

Combinations of drugs are used to treat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. This is because it is easier for organisms to develop resistance to a single drug.

Current malaria treatments require adults to take as many as eight pills a day. And they often have to divide pills to administer a smaller amount to children.

ASAQ combines the medicines into one daily pill for children and two pills for adults. The medicine is taken for three days. Doctors say the simpler the treatment, the more likely people are to take their medicine.

Sanofi-Aventis has promised to sell ASAQ on a "no profit-no loss" basis to the poorest patients. The full treatment cost for older children and adults will be less than a dollar. The cost for a child under the age of five will be less than half a dollar.

Sanofi-Aventis has also made an unusual decision not to seek patent protections for ASAQ. That means other companies are free to make their own versions to sell at even lower prices.

Five organizations including the French group Medecins Sans Frontieres, Doctors Without Borders, established the initiative four years ago. The aim is to work with major drug companies to create low-cost drugs for diseases that are common in poor countries. ASAQ is the first product to be launched.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. Our reports are online with transcripts at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Barbara Klein.

US Veterans, Family Members Testify on Military Medical Care

By Dan Robinson Washington 05 March 2007

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US lawmakers are pledging strong action in the wake of the latest revelations regarding poor conditions wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan have faced at a key Army medical hospital. VOA's Dan Robinson reports on an unusual public hearing at the facility, steps under way in Congress and what President Bush has said about the situation.

The scandal over unsanitary and other sub-standard conditions at a building at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center has already resulted in the dismissal of the secretary of the Army by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the replacement of the head of the facility.

However, House and Senate lawmakers want more done. They are demanding the creation of an independent commission and a wider government probe into bureaucratic and other problems affecting veterans.

The first in a series of hearings took place Monday when members of a House subcommittee went to the Walter Reed facility.

"This is absolutely the wrong way to treat our troops, and serious reforms need to happen immediately," said Democratic Congressman John Tierney.

Spec. Jeremy Duncan and Annette McLeod, wife of Cpl. Wendell McLeod, testify before a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee hearing at Walter Reed Medical Center, 5 March 2007

Wounded veterans and family members testified about tangled bureaucracy slowing or preventing urgently needed care.

Jeremy Duncan, a U.S. Army Specialist receiving treatment at Walter Reed for wounds suffered in an explosion in Iraq, testified about conditions he saw in a building there.

"There is no way they couldn't have known," he said. "Everybody had to have known somewhere, if they wanted to actually look at it or pay attention or believe it."

Staft Sgt. John Shannon testifies before House subcommittee at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, 5 March 2007

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant John Shannon, who lost an eye after being shot during a battle near the Iraqi city of Ramadi, says system-wide reforms are needed.

"A system that fires people down the chain, once again in my opinion is indicative of a system that is trying to protect itself whether it fixes the problem or not, and in my opinion [is] clearly not focused on fixing the problem," he said.

Military officials who have been in charge at the Walter Reed facility offered apologies during the hearing.

Major General George Weightman was the commander before he was dismissed last week.

"It is clear [that] mistakes were made, and I was in charge," he said. " We can't fail one of these soldiers, or their families, not one, and we did."

Lieutenant Gen. Kevin Kiley, left, and Major Gen. George Weightman testify before House subcommittee hearing at Walter Reed Medical Center, 5 March 2007

Weightman's temporary replacement, Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, called steps to simplify bureaucracy urgent, and had this apology for conditions at Walter Reed.

"I am personally and professionally sorry and I offer my apologies to the soldiers, the families, the civilian and military leadership of the Army and Department of Defense, and to the nation," he said.

Documents Congress is examining include an internal Army memo indicating high-level officials at Walter Reed and the U.S. Army Medical Command were warned in 2006 that a process of privatizing positions dealing with patient care, and an influx of wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan, threatened to overwhelm the system.

Republican Congressman Tom Davis says the Pentagon was unprepared for the number of wounded, currently at least 22,000 from Iraq alone.

"The Pentagon somehow failed to anticipate that deploying unprecedented numbers of reserve component troops into combat would produce an unprecedented flow of casualties," he said. "As a result, the defense department has been scrambling ever since to lash together last century procedures and systems to care for returning citizen soldiers."

Controversy about conditions for wounded veterans comes as President Bush faces sharply eroded public support for the war in Iraq, and opposition to new troop deployments.

White House spokesman Tony Snow was asked by reporters Monday what specific steps the president and others are taking.

"What he has been doing is making sure that people take a good look to find out what this situation is," he said. "No excuses, get the facts, get it fixed."

The president asked Congress for $87 billion for the Veterans Administration for 2008. He said that military health care spending has gone up by 83 percent since 2001.

While the Walter Reed scandal puts pressure on all members of Congress to come up with a solution, it also poses challenges for majority Democrats.

Before last November's mid-term congressional election, they accused Republicans of short-changing military veterans in the government budget.

Facing a tight budget situation, Democrats must now determine how to respond to long-standing flaws and correct deficiencies in the nationwide military health care system.

US, North Korea Begin Talks on Normalizing Relations

By David Gollust Washington 05 March 2007

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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill

Senior U.S. and North Korean diplomats have begun landmark talks in New York on normalizing relations as part of the agreement under which Pyongyang has agreed to scrap its nuclear program. U.S. officials say they will press for a full disclosure of all North Korean nuclear projects including a disputed uranium-enrichment effort. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

美国和朝鲜的高级外交官员将在纽约会晤，就两国关系正常化开始为期两天的会谈，这是平壤同意放弃其核项目而签署的协议的部分内容。美国官员表示，他们将敦促朝鲜公布包括一项有争议的浓缩铀提炼项目在内的所有朝鲜核项目。

The talks beginning late Monday at the U.S. mission to the United Nations are the highest-level U.S.-North Korean meeting on American soil since 2000, when Pyongyang sent a senior envoy to Washington near the end of the Clinton administration.

星期一晚上，在联合国的美国使团开始的这次会谈将是2000年以来美国和朝鲜在美国的国土上举行的最高级别的会谈，2000年，在克林顿政府任期即将届满时，平壤向华盛顿派出一名高级特使。

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-Kwan will be setting up a working group intended to open the way to normalization of relations under the nuclear deal reached last month in Beijing.

按照上个月在北京签署的核协议，美国助理国务卿克里斯托弗·希尔和朝鲜副外相金桂冠将设立一个为两国关系正常化铺平道路的工作组。

The February 13 agreement at the Chinese-sponsored six-party talks obligates North Korea to shut down its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon within 60 days in exchange for 50,000 tons of fuel oil.

2月13号由中国主持的六方会谈签署的这个协议要求朝鲜在60天内关闭其在宁边的主要核设施，以换取5万吨燃油。

Over the long term in the multi-stage accord, North Korea is to declare and irreversibly end all aspects of its nuclear program for a million tons of oil or equivalent aid and other benefits including normal relations with Washington.

在这项多阶段的协定中的一项长期目标是，朝鲜交代并不可逆转地停止所有核项目，以换取一百万吨的石油和相当于这些能源的援助以及包括与美国关系正常化的其它好处。

North Korea conducted a nuclear test last October with a device intelligence officials believe was made from plutonium harvested from the Yongbyon reactor. But the United States believes North Korea also had a parallel enriched-uranium project and admitted its existence during a visit by a U.S. envoy in 2002.

去年10月，朝鲜试验了一个核装置，情报官员认为，它是由宁边核反应堆生产的钚制成的。但是美国认为，朝鲜过去还拥有一个提炼浓缩铀的平行核项目，2002年一位美国特使访问朝鲜时，朝鲜承认有这个项目。

In a talk with reporters, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack reiterated a statement by Assistant Secretary Hill on Sunday that North Korea needs to account for, and eliminate, all aspects of its nuclear program including the uranium project:

美国国务院发言人麦科马克在与记者交谈时重申美国助理国务卿希尔星期天发表的一项声明，朝鲜需要说明并且消除包括浓缩铀项目在内的所有的核项目。

"I refer you to the intelligence community for their assessment of the state and nature of that H.E.U. [highly-enriched uranium] program, but none-the-less we believe there is one," he said. "The North Koreans have admitted to one and they, in the process of denuclearization, would need to come clean on that program and eventually dismantle that program, along with their other nuclear programs."

他说：“我请你们注意情报部门对这项高浓度提炼的浓缩铀项目的情况和特点的评估，但是我们依然认为有这样一个项目。朝鲜已经承认有一个这样的项目，在实现无核化的过程中，他们必须交代这个项目，最终拆除这个项目以及其它核项目。”

After the October 2002 visit by U.S. envoy James Kelly, North Korea denied having an

Six-Party Talks participants in Beijing, 13 Feb 2007

enriched-uranium bomb project, and a senior intelligence official told Congress earlier this month U.S. officials are not highly-confident North Korea ever produced uranium suitable for a bomb.

在2002年10月美国特使詹姆斯·凯利访问朝鲜后，朝鲜否认拥有一个浓缩铀的核武器项目。这个月早些时候，一位高级情报官员对国会说，美国官员并不确信朝鲜曾经生产过能够用来制造核武器的金属铀。

Assistant Secretary Hill, who was chief U.S. envoy to the six-party talks, says the working group he will set up with his North Korean counterpart will establish an agenda for normalizing relations, including what will be required for removing North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

曾经担任六方会谈美国首席代表的助理国务卿希尔说，他与朝鲜方面将要建立的这个工作组将设定一个关系正常化的日程，内容包括美国为了把朝鲜从支持恐怖主义国家的名单上去除，朝鲜需要做的事情。

North Korea has been listed as a terrorism sponsor since 1988 but the State Department said in its most recent annual report on the issue that Pyongyang is not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987.

自1998年以来，朝鲜一直被美国列在支持恐怖主义的国家的名单上，但是，美国国务院在就这一问题所做的最新年度报告中表示，自从1987年一架韩国客机被炸毁以来，并不知道平壤支持过任何恐怖活动。

The February 13 six-party accord has come under criticism from U.S. conservatives, notably John Bolton of the American Enterprise Institute, who until late last year was U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

2月13日的六方会谈也受到来自美国保守派的批评，特别是来自美国企业研究所的约翰·博尔顿，这位直至去年时任美国驻联合国大使的批评。

In a Wall Street Journal commentary, Bolton faulted the deal for relying excessively on the International Atomic Energy Agency for verification of North Korean compliance.

博尔顿在华尔街日报评论中指出，此项协议过分依赖由国际原子能机构核查朝鲜的遵守情况。

He said North Korea's record of what he termed "aggressive mendacity" requires the most intrusive of verification systems and that if the current approach is followed, in his words, an "already bad deal will become a dangerous deal."

他称朝鲜的信用记录是“侵略性谎言”，其最需要的是更强制的审查机构。如果按照目前的做法是，用他的话说是一个“已经坏了的交易将成为危险的交易”。

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最后一句感觉翻得不好，没有资料借鉴，政治题材难，请大家来讨论下。

Tips：
美国企业研究所全称为美国企业公共政策研究所(American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research,AEI),是美国最大和最重要的思想库之一,也是美国保守派的重要政策研究机构.在20世纪,它与布鲁金斯学会并称为美国华盛顿的"两大思想库",有"保守的布鲁金斯"之称.该所的保守立场使之与共和党渊源较深,曾被称为共和党的"流亡政府"和"影子内阁".近年来,其立场有向中间靠拢的趋势,对国会和政府的影响力也在逐渐增强.
PS：我找到的中文资料不多，希望大家补充。

Article From Wikipedia：

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) is a conservative think tank, founded in 1943, whose stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism — limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and responsibility, vigilant and effective defense and foreign policies, political accountability, and open debate." AEI labels itself as an independent nonprofit organization. It is supported primarily by grants and contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals.

Like most think tanks that maintain non-profit status under the federal tax code, AEI is officially nonpartisan and takes no institutional positions on pending legislation or other policy questions.

AEI has emerged as one of the leading architects of the second Bush administration's public policy. More than two dozen AEI alumni have served either in a Bush administration policy post or on one of the government's many panels and commissions. AEI, along with the more conservative Heritage Foundation, is often cited as a center-right counterpart to the center-left Brookings Institution. In 1998, AEI and Brookings established the AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies.

VOASE0305_Science In the News

05 March 2007

International Study Shows That Many Genes Could Be Involved in Autism
Also: A study finds that aspirin may help protect healthy adults against asthma. Scientists discover more than 100 lakes under Antarctica. And for the first time, a woman wins the ''Nobel prize of computing.''

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Doug Johnson.

VOICE TWO:

David Massey, a student at the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University, works with Stephanie Hurley, a Marshall senior. New findings about the possible causes of autism appear below.

And I'm Steve Ember. This week, we will tell you what an American satellite discovered under Antarctica. We will also tell about the first woman to win a major award for computer scientists. And, we report on a study that found yet another possible use for the drug aspirin.

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VOICE ONE:

American space agency scientists say they have discovered large lakes hidden under the ice in Antarctica. The lakes are said to quickly fill with water and empty into surrounding seas.

Research scientists say they found more than one hundred lakes under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Until now, scientists did not know many of these lakes existed. Knowing that they exist will help scientists better understand the effects of climate change on the ice sheet.

The ice above the lakes moves at a speed of about eight tenths of a meter each day. Fast-moving ice streams are one way to estimate climate change. Information from the ice streams can be used to estimate how ice will survive rising sea temperatures.

VOICE TWO:

The researchers say they do not know exactly how the underground lakes affect the melting of ice away from the Antarctic ice sheet. Yet the melting of the ice sheet is one of the greatest fears of climate change scientists. American space agency researchers say Antarctica alone holds about ninety percent of the world’s ice. They say the continent also holds seventy percent of the Earth’s fresh water.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released a report about climate change. The group warned that melting ice could cause world sea levels to rise up to fifty-eight centimeters by the end of the century.

VOICE ONE:

The discoveries were announced last month at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in San Francisco, California.

Satellite images discovered the lakes under about seven hundred meters of ice. The satellite information was gathered from two thousand three to two thousand six. In the past, scientists had to cut deep holes into Antarctic ice to learn about what was happening underneath. The process only permitted them to study small areas at a time.

VOICE TWO:

The ice streams on top of the lakes move quickly. Scientists say they move about one and one-half meters each day and often drop ice into the sea. Currently, about twelve ice streams are moving the edges of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into nearby waters.

Experts say the ice sheet last melted about one hundred twenty five thousand years ago. At the time, Earth's surface temperatures were similar to current temperatures. The American space agency estimates that the moving of ice into the ocean at the time sent sea levels about eighteen feet higher.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

An American study shows that use of the drug aspirin may prevent healthy adults from developing the disease asthma. Asthma is caused by a condition in the lungs. During an asthma attack, breathing passages become smaller, blocking the flow of air. The disease usually develops during childhood. Some children recover as they get older.

Tobias Kurth led the new study. He works for Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. His team studied information about twenty-two thousand male doctors. The doctors had taken part in a health study during the nineteen eighties. That study was about heart disease, but its records also had information about asthma.

VOICE TWO:

None of the doctors had asthma when the study began. Half of them took an aspirin every other day. The other half took a harmless substance called a placebo.

After about five years, one hundred forty-five men in the placebo group had developed asthma. But only one hundred thirteen men in the aspirin group had the disease. This represented a twenty-two percent decrease in the risk of developing asthma for those taking aspirin.

The research team reported the results last month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The researchers say it is too early to suggest that people take aspirin to prevent asthma. They also say aspirin is not a treatment for asthma. The drug can cause asthma attacks in some people who have the disease.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Another study offers information about the possible genetic causes of autism. Scientists already believed that autism is passed from parents to their children. But the study shows there could be many genes responsible for the brain disorder. This is different from other disorders that are caused by a single gene.

Results of the study were reported last month in the publication Nature Genetics. The Autism Genome Project organized the study. The project involves research scientists in nineteen countries. The researchers compared genetic material from almost twelve hundred families. Each family had two or more children with autism.

VOICE TWO:

The researchers used what they called gene chip technology to look for small genetic differences that could be linked to the disorder. They identified a gene called neurexin-one as one possible cause of autism. This gene seems to be linked to communication among brain cells. The study also showed that an area of chromosome eleven might influence the development of autism.

Signs of the disorder appear in early childhood, usually by the age of two or three years. Autism affects four times as many boys as girls. Another study released last month suggests that as many as one in every one hundred and fifty children in the United States has an autism disorder.

VOICE ONE:

Autistic children have problems in the development of social and communication skills. They may also have limited interests and repeat the same actions again and again.

One problem with earlier autism research has been that studies are often based on information from a small number of people. In this study, more than one hundred and twenty researchers spent five years working to expand the number of persons studied. Because they shared their information, the researchers had a greater amount of information to work with.

Scientists hope that learning more about the genetic roots of autism will help them to better identify and understand the disorder. They also hope to learn more about developing drugs to treat autism.

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VOICE TWO:

Frances Allen is the first woman to win the Turing Award

Finally, a computer scientist from the United States has won the two thousand six A.M. Turing Award. The Association for Computing Machinery named Frances Allen as the winner. The A.C.M. is an international organization for computer scientists and educators.

The A.M. Turing Award has been called the Nobel prize of computing. It is given every year to scientists and engineers who created the systems and theories that have aided the information technology industry. The Turing Award winner receives one hundred thousand dollars. Earlier winners include Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn for helping to design the Internet.

The award is named for the British mathematics expert Alan M. Turing. He is considered one of the fathers of computer science. His work helped Allied nations learn how the German military passed secret commands and orders during World War Two.

VOICE ONE:

This is the first time that the Turing Award has been given to a woman. The Association for Computing Machinery says it is honoring Frances Allen for improving the performance of computer programs in solving problems. It says her work also helped to speed up the use of high performance computing.

Miz Allen is retired from her job with the T.J. Watson Research Center at IBM Corporation. She joined the company in nineteen fifty-seven to teach the computer language FORTRAN to IBM engineers. She was trained as a mathematics teacher but became interested in the power of computers.

Miz Allen has won several awards and honorary college degrees. She told the USA Today newspaper that she wants to use the Turing Award to influence more young women to study computer science. She will receive her award in June at ceremonies in San Diego, California.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Brianna Blake, Dana Demange, Shelley Gollust and Nancy Steinbach. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Doug Johnson. Be listening again next week at this time for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOASE0305_Agriculture Report

05 March 2007

Getting the Most Out of Marginal Lands
Farmers can reclaim poor quality land for agriculture. But they also have to be careful not to make things worse.

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

To call something "marginal" means it is not very good. Farmers have their own way to define marginal land: It is the last to be planted under good conditions, and the first to be avoided under poor conditions.

Low quality soil is not the only reason land could be considered marginal. It might be in an area where rainfall is limited. Or a hillside might rise too steeply.

There are uses for marginal land, however. Most often it is used as grassland. Grasses provide excellent feed for grazing animals like cattle, sheep and goats.

Grass seed can be bought from a supplier. Or native grasses can be used. But it is important to establish good ground cover to avoid soil loss through erosion.

Forage crops like clover and alfalfa can be planted. These members of the legume family provide high protein food for grazing animals. They also improve the quality of the soil.

Most plants use up nitrogen. But legumes put nitrogen back into the soil. Forage crops also help limit erosion.

However, using marginal land for grazing is not a simple issue. There is a risk of overgrazing. Cattle can damage forage crops by eating down to the roots. Also, the weight of the animals crushes the soil and can make it too hard for growing.

A way to reduce the harm is to move animals from one field to another. This method is known as rotational grazing. Experts say rotational grazing is extremely important for marginal land.

Another use for marginal land is for tree crops. Studies have shown that the white pine and loblolly pine are two kinds of trees that grow well on such land. They grow fast and provide good quality wood. Another tree is the poplar, found in many parts of the world. Slower-growing trees like the black walnut also provide a nut crop.

Trees support the soil. They reduce the effects of wind and rain. And they help block the sun.

Failure to take the care needed to protect marginal lands can make a bad situation worse. But good planning can turn a marginal resource into a highly productive one.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Our reports are online at voaspecialenglish.com. If you have a question about agriculture, send it to special@voanews.com. We might answer it on our program. I'm Barbara Klein.

US Urges China Transparency on Military Buildup

By Luis Ramirez Beijing 04 March 2007

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John Negroponte

The United States is calling on China to be more transparent on its military buildup. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte made the call in Beijing Sunday after Chinese officials announced they plan to boost their military spending by nearly 18 percent to $45 billion this year. VOA's Luis Ramirez has more from Beijing.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met with Chinese officials as part of a three-nation Asian tour that began Friday in Japan. On the agenda have been discussions on ensuring that North Korea meets an upcoming deadline on declaring its nuclear activities as it agreed to do in negotiations last month.

美国副国务卿约翰·内格罗蓬特与中国官员会见是他星期五从日本开始的亚洲三国之行的一部份。他的主要议程是讨论确保北韩能够在即将到来的最后期限之前落实它在上月作出的终止核活动的承诺。

Overshadowing Negroponte's stop in Beijing was China's announcement that it plans to boost its defense budget by 17.8 percent this year. The U.S. official voiced Washington's concern over what he said is China's lack of transparency as it upgrades its military.

然而，中国的一项宣布却给内格罗蓬特在北京的逗留蒙上一层阴影。北京宣布说，它计划把今年的国防预算提高17.8%。内格罗蓬特在北京表达了华盛顿对中国在军费开支问题上缺乏透明度的关注。

"It is not so much the budget and the increases, as much as it is understanding those questions better through dialogue and transparency," he said.

他说：“与对中国军队预算和军费开支增加的关注相比，美国更为关注的是，通过对话和增加透明度来使美国更好地了解这些问题。”

Negroponte said more discussions are needed between Pentagon officials and Chinese military authorities.

内格罗蓬特说，五角大楼官员和中国军事当局需要进行更多的讨论。

"We would like to see those intensified so that we can have a better grasp of what exactly the Chinese have in mind," added Negroponte.

他说：“美国希望看到两国在这个问题上进行深入细致的讨论，以便更好地了解中国方面究竟是怎么想的。”

China has pointed hundreds of missiles at democratically ruled Taiwan, which the Communist government in Beijing claims as part of its territory. Washington has expressed concern over China's threats to reunite Taiwan by force if necessary.

中国有数百枚导弹瞄准着（“democratically ruled”这个感觉不好翻出来。。。）台湾，中方宣称台湾是中国领土的一部分。华盛顿一直关注中国必要时会以武力统一台湾的威胁。

China on Sunday warned the United States not to allow a deal to sell missiles to Taiwan, saying Washington should not signal support for those on the island who want formal independence.

中国于周日敦促美国不要向台湾出售导弹，给台独份子发出错误信号。

Negroponte said the provision of defensive weapons to Taiwan is consistent with Washington's accords with China.

内格罗蓬特声称提供防御性武器给台湾符合华府与中方之间的协定。

The Deputy Secretary of State later heads to South Korea, where discussions are expected to focus on the North Korean nuclear issue.

在此之后，副国务卿前往韩国，预计集中讨论朝鲜核问题。

PoEnglish声明：

以上翻译基本参照VOA中文网信息及其它相关报道，不代表PoEnglish政治观点，仅供英语翻译学习。

台湾是中国不可分割的一部分。

VOASE0304_This Is America

04 March 2007

How Technology Can Help Disabled People Live More Normal Lives
Third in a series of four reports on living with a disability in the US; earlier programs dealt with education and employment.

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. This week on our program, we have the third part of our series on living with a disability in America. In January we looked at education. Last month we talked about jobs. Today we discuss assistive technology.

(MUSIC)

Disabled man uses a device called the "Liberator," which helps him form words and sentences

VOICE ONE:

Technology offers many different ways to help people with disabilities lead more normal lives. Devices that help them perform an activity are called assistive technology. Assistive technology can help people reach their personal and professional goals.

The invention of the telephone might not have been very exciting to a deaf person. But it led to a way to send text messages over a phone line with the use of a teletypewriter, or TTY.

VOICE TWO:

Today, with special care, Web site designers can make their sites highly accessible to disabled users.

There are both simple devices and very complex ones to help people with disabilities.

VOICE ONE:

Even something as low-tech as a small piece of soft plastic can be an assistive technology. Attached to a pencil, it might help a child hold the pencil better if the child has trouble writing.

VOICE TWO:

Blind people can have documents read out loud electronically on their computer. And for people who cannot use their arms to type, speech recognition programs may be the answer. These let people give commands to their computer or have their words turned into print.

What about a person who is not able to speak? There are now special devices to help them, too. An American company called Blink Twice produces a device that looks like a handheld computer game. The device is called Tango.

VOICE ONE:

Tango was invented by Richard Ellenson, the father of an eight-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. This condition affects a person's ability to move and speak. With Tango, his son Thomas can touch pictures that express his feelings or the words he wants to say. A voice then speaks the words that Thomas has chosen.

The company's Web site has examples of what Tango sounds like:

TANGO: "How was your day? OK. Where did you go today? Oh. Did you do anything fun? Let me think of another question. Did you see anybody I know? Ah-ha! Last question. Did you miss me? I missed you!"

VOICE TWO:

Other voices, ideas and words can be added to meet the interests and needs of the individual user. For example, when Thomas watches sports, he can play cheers for his team that were recorded in his father's voice.

Richard Ellenson says he wants Tango to help people with disabilities build relationships, not just sentences. Right now, Tango costs about seven thousand dollars. But this is a new device, and the price of new technology often comes down after a few years.

VOICE ONE:

There are many devices to help people with disabilities use computers. There are ways for people to operate a computer by moving their heads or even just their eyes.

There are also keyboards that can be used with only one hand. One of these small keyboards is called a FrogPad. One young girl used the FrogPad at school. Her mother said the small keyboard helped her daughter work normally at school, and her friends thought the FrogPad was great.

VOICE TWO:

Students with disabilities want to be like their friends; they want to be able to do things as normally as possible. So for young people, technology must not only help them do their work. The devices must also be cool.

Ben is a fifteen-year-old boy in Maine. He was born with a condition called spina bifida. He cannot move his arms or legs. He uses a small device called a TongueTouch Keypad, made by a California company, newAbilities Systems.

The keypad is placed in the mouth. Ben learned to use his tongue to touch different keys. They operate his telephone, his computer, his electric wheelchair, his bed and his music player.

Ben is able to get in and out of his house without help. And he can even turn his music up loud if he wants to.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Sometimes, all it takes to improve on existing technology is a little imagination. Like adding a voice to clocks and watches so they announce the time. Or printing children's books in Braille with both raised marks and traditional text. That way the parent of a child who is blind can read the same book out loud while the child reads with his or her fingers.

Using a motorized wheelchair requires the ability to operate the controls. But what about people who are not able to use their hands? One solution is to attach a tube to the chair. The person operates the wheelchair by sucking air through the tube or blowing into it. This is called "sip and puff" technology, and it can also be used to operate other devices.

VOICE TWO:

Things that are designed to help the disabled may also make life easier for people who are not disabled. The opposite is also true.

Think of the millions of people who send and receive messages over cell phones and other wireless devices. This ability to communicate quickly by text messaging or e-mail is very useful. But imagine just how useful it can be to a person who is deaf.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Many times, the technology that helps people with disabilities is invented by people who have disabilities themselves.

TecAccess is a company that helps government offices and companies provide technology for people with disabilities.

TecAccess has fifty-two employees. Forty-six of them have one or more disabilities. The company is in Virginia, but its employees work all over the world.

VOICE TWO:

Don Dalton, owner of Assistive Technologies

A man named Don Dalton started a company in Illinois called Assistive Technologies. Mister Dalton became a quadriplegic in a swimming accident almost forty years ago. His company offers computer technology to help people with disabilities become more independent.

His newest product, in fact, is called Independence One. Once the system is put into a house, the user wears a wireless headset to control it. By voice, the user is able to control many devices and systems around the house.

Don Dalton uses the Independence One controller when he rides in the elevator in his office building. The system answers him in a woman's voice.

DON DALTON: "Wake up."
INDEPENDENCE ONE: "Hello. I'm here."
DON DALTON: "Elevator down."
INDEPENDENCE ONE: "Elevator going down."

VOICE ONE:

A video on his company's Web site also shows how Mister Dalton uses his voice to operate devices in his house. He can turn on the television, close a window in a different room, or work on his computer, all by using his voice.

He also uses the controller to make telephone calls over the Internet.

DON DALTON: "Start computer phone."
INDEPENDENCE ONE: "Starting computer phone. Please say login."
DON DALTON: "Login."
INDEPENDENCE ONE: "Logging in."
DON DALTON: "865-7004. Dial phone."
INDEPENDENCE ONE: "Thank you. Dialing."
INDEPENDENCE ONE: "I'm calling the cell phone on my wheelchair and it's ringing. [sound]"

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In the United States, the federal government is expected to be a leader in supporting the use of assistive technology. For example, federal agencies are required by law to purchase or develop technology that can be used by all employees.

The government is providing money to research new assistive technologies. Loans are also available to help disabled federal employees and others to buy equipment. For example, a disabled person who owns a computer may be able to work from home instead of having to travel to an office.

Research centers are working to improve technology for people with disabilities. They are working in the areas of education, employment, computers, communication and community living.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Assistive technology can do a lot to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

That is, if the technology is available to them. Sometimes it can be very costly. People with a disability, especially a severe disability, have lower earnings and higher poverty rates than the general population. But government programs and private organizations may be able to help them get the assistance they need.

VOICE TWO:

Next month we have the fourth and final report in our series on living with a disability in America. Find out how recreation programs are helping people with disabilities have fun like they might never have thought possible.

VOICE ONE:

And if you missed any of the earlier reports, you can find transcripts and audio files at voaspecialenglish.com.

Our program was written by Karen Leggett and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Steve Ember with Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

VOASE0304_Development Report

04 March 2007

Bringing Nanotechnology to Health Care for the Poor
Speakers at a program in Washington discuss using the technology to improve health care in developing countries.

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Nanotechnology uses matter at the level of molecules and atoms. Researchers are finding different uses for particles with a length of one nanometer, or one-billionth of a meter. These include things like beauty products and dirt-resistant clothing. But one area where many experts believe nanotechnology holds great promise is medicine.

Last week, speakers at a program in Washington discussed using nanotechnology to improve health care in developing countries. The program took place at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Peter Singer at the University of Toronto says a nanotechnology called quantum dots could be used to confirm cases of malaria. He says it could offer a better way than the traditional process of looking at a person's blood under a microscope.

In poor countries, this process is often not followed. As a result, sick people may get treated for malaria even if they do not have it. Such misuse of medicines can lead to drug resistance.

Quantum dots are particles that give off light when activated. Researchers are studying ways to program them to identify diseases by lighting up in the presence of a targeted molecule.

Experts say nanotechnology shows promise not just for diagnosing diseases, but also for treating them. Piotr Grodzinski of the National Institutes of Health talked about how nanotechnology could make drugs more effective.

He talked about cancer drugs already developed with nanotechnology. He says if a drug can target a cancer locally in the body, then much less of it might be needed, and that means lower side effects.

Andrew Maynard is chief scientist for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson Center. He noted that Brazil, India, China and South Africa are currently doing nanotechnology research that could help poor countries.

But he also noted that there is some risk in using nano-materials. He says nanometer-sized particles behave differently in the body and the environment compared to larger particles. Experts say more investment in research is needed to better understand these risks.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. Transcripts and audio files of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.

Bush Tours Tornado Damage in US Midwest, Southeast

By Scott Stearns White House 03 March 2007

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U.S. President George Bush is touring damage from killer tornadoes in America's Midwest and Southeast. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the violent weather killed at least 20 people.

Scene at school in Enterprise, Alabama after tornado struck, 1 Mar 2007

The president's helicopter flew over the path of the deadly storm in the state of Alabama, where eight teenagers were killed Thursday in the collapse of a high school in the town of Enterprise.

Meeting with state and local officials in Enterprise, President Bush called on Americans to help those affected.

"Some people are going to need your help," he said. "There have been some poor citizens who may or may not qualify for federal help, who are going to need the help of our fellow citizens. And, I would ask you, out of the generosity of your heart, to help the folks down here. This storm was a tough storm."

The storm killed two other people in Alabama, nine in the neighboring state of Georgia, and a young girl in Missouri.

Fourteen teams of experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are evaluating the damage to assess what federal assistance might be needed in situations that overwhelm state and local capabilities.

President Bush tours tornado damage at Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama, 3 Mar 2007

That agency and President Bush were widely criticized for their poor response to Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people along the Gulf Coast.

Asked if the president's decision to visit the tornado-stricken areas Saturday was influenced by the political fall-out from Hurricane Katrina, White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino said that was never part of the discussion.

Traveling with the president, FEMA Director David Paulson stressed how much the response system has changed since Hurricane Katrina, telling reporters that federal officials no longer wait for state and local governments to be overwhelmed before stepping in.

Paulson says FEMA quickly supplied food, water, ice, plastic sheeting and communications equipment to help state officials care for people whose homes were damaged.

US Army Secretary Resigns Over Poor Conditions at Medical Facility

By Scott Stearns White House 03 March 2007

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The secretary of the U.S. Army has resigned amid a scandal over the quality of health care for troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, President Bush wants a bipartisan commission to investigate ahead of Congressional hearings by opposition Democrats.

Francis Harvey (file photo)

U.S. defense officials say Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked for the resignation of Army Secretary Francis Harvey, because he said he was disappointed that some Army officials were not taking the poor treatment of wounded soldiers seriously enough.

Harvey's forced resignation follows the ouster of the general who ran the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where an investigation by The Washington Post newspaper uncovered recuperating soldiers living in a run-down building, infested with mice, mold and cockroaches.

The scandal is especially embarrassing for President Bush, who regularly visits with wounded troops at Walter Reed. He used his weekly radio address to announce a bipartisan commission to investigate.

George Bush, 2 Mar 2007

"Some of our troops at Walter Reed have experienced bureaucratic delays and living conditions that are less than they deserve," he said. "This is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to our country, and it's not going to continue."

Mr. Bush says he will name the members of that group and their deadline for reporting back to him in the coming days. He says he wants the commission to evaluate the treatment of wounded from the time they leave the battlefield to their return to civilian life as veterans.

The commander-in-chief has seen his public approval ratings fall over the war in Iraq. Opinion polls say a majority of Americans oppose the president's sending more than 20,000 additional troops as part of a new strategy to secure Baghdad.

Most opposition Democrats also oppose that plan, but are reluctant to cut funding for the troop increase, concerned that might appear disloyal to soldiers serving in harms way. Democrats have responded swiftly to the scandal at Walter Reed.

Congressional Democrats have already scheduled hearings for next week, one at Walter Reed with some of the recovering soldiers who have struggled through Army bureaucracy.

In the Democratic radio address, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who is an independent, said soldiers with brain injuries have gone weeks without being able to get doctor appointments.

"There is not enough staff with the right skills to treat and care for the severely injured troops," he said. "And, rooms where some soldiers lived were found to be moldy and infested with rodents. Our nation has no greater moral and patriotic responsibility than to ensure that these brave Americans receive first class treatment, not only immediately after their injuries, but for their entire lives, through the Veterans Administration."

Lieberman says it is unacceptable that service members and veterans suffering from mental illness are not receiving proper care.

VOASE0303_People In America

03 March 2007

Billy Wilder, 1906-2002: He Made Movies That People Will Never Forget
Wilder made serious movies dealing with social issues as well as funny movies.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today we tell about Billy Wilder. He was the director of some of the greatest American movies.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had. He was

Billy Wilder

known for making movies that offered sharp social comment and adult sexual situations. Wilder was one of the first directors to do this.

Between the middle nineteen thirties and the nineteen eighties, Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards. His movies have been seen by people around the world. Wilder made famous movies like “Sunset Boulevard”, “Some Like It Hot”, and “Double Indemnity.” He also directed “The Lost Weekend”, “The Apartment”, and “The Seven Year Itch.”

VOICE TWO:

Samuel Wilder was born in nineteen-oh-six in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. His birthplace is now part of Poland. His mother had enjoyed spending several years in the United States when she was young. So she called him Billy because she thought it sounded American.

Billy Wilder started law school in Vienna, Austria. Then he decided not to become a lawyer. Instead, he began reporting for a Vienna newspaper. By the nineteen twenties, he was writing movies in Germany.

However, the Nazis had risen to power in the nation. Wilder was Jewish, and he recognized that he had no future in Nazi Germany. In nineteen thirty-three, he went to Paris. There he directed a movie for the first time. It was called “The Bad Seed.” Then he received word that producers in the United States had accepted one of his scripts. Billy Wilder left Europe for America.

VOICE ONE:

Billy Wilder had only eleven dollars when he arrived to settle in the United States in nineteen thirty-four. He decided to live in the center of American movie making, Hollywood, California. At the time, many people who had left Germany were working there. They helped Wilder get jobs. After a while he formed a writing team with Charles Brackett. The two writers created many films together.

Wilder and Brackett wrote several successful movies. One was the nineteen thirty-nine movie, “Ninotchka”, starring Greta Garbo. Ernst Lubitsch directed the film. Wilder always praised this man as a friend and teacher whose humor and expert direction greatly influenced his work.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In his love stories, Billy Wilder did not follow the Hollywood tradition of sweet boy-meets-girl situations. He had an unusual way of showing relations between men and women. For example, one of his most successful films was “Hold Back the Dawn.” The French actor Charles Boyer plays a refugee in this nineteen forty-one film. He marries an American woman so he can enter the United States.

In nineteen forty-four, Billy Wilder made a film called “Double Indemnity.” Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. It told a vicious story about a married woman and her boyfriend. They plot the death of her husband.

Charles Brackett thought the story was not moral. So the famous American mystery writer Raymond Chandler was asked to help write the script.

VOICE ONE:

As a director, Billy Wilder often violated Hollywood customs about social issues. For example, someone who drinks too much alcohol had rarely been a movie subject. Then Wilder directed “The Lost Weekend” in nineteen forty-five. Charles Brackett returned to work on the movie with him. They developed the script from a book by Charles Jackson.

Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life, yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.

VOICE TWO:

Reports at the time said manufacturers of alcoholic drinks tried to suppress the movie. They did not succeed. The public and critics praised “The Lost Weekend” for its painful honesty. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Ray Milland the best actor award. Billy Wilder won two Academy Awards. One honored his part in writing the script. The other honored his direction. “The Lost Weekend” also won the first Grand Prix – first prize -- of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.

World War Two ended in nineteen forty-five. Wilder had become an American citizen in nineteen thirty-nine. After the war, Wilder was asked by the United States Army to go to Germany to help re-organize the movie industry and radio media. The Nazi government had used both for its propaganda. While in Germany, Wilder learned that the Nazis had murdered his sister, his mother and his mother’s husband.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen fifty, Wilder made “Sunset Boulevard.” This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies. Gloria Swanson played this star. More than fifty years later, movie-lovers can still repeat some of her lines.

In one of the famous lines in “Sunset Boulevard,” Miz Swanson remembers telling the famous director Cecil B. DeMille that she is prepared for him to start filming:

(GLORIA SWANSON: “I’m ready for my close-up, Mister DeMille.” )

VOICE TWO:

“Sunset Boulevard” won three Academy awards. One honored the writing team of Wilder, Brackett and D. M. Marshman Junior. The movie marked the last time Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett wrote together.

Wilder also was highly praised for “Stalag Seventeen”, which he both produced and directed. The movie mixes humor and wartime realism. William Holden plays a dishonest American war prisoner in a World War Two German camp for Allied servicemen. Holden won the nineteen fifty-three Academy Award for his part. Wilder was nominated for best director.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen fifty-four, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. He left Paramount Pictures, the motion picture company he had worked with for many years. He left after company officials cut many anti-Nazi comments from a version of “Stalag Seventeen.” That version was to be shown in Germany.

The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was “The Seven Year Itch.” He developed the movie from a play by George Axelrod. In this movie, a married man wants to cheat on his wife with a beautiful golden-haired young woman. Marilyn Monroe played the young woman. The part launched her as a major Hollywood success. Some critics said Marilyn Monroe gave her best performances under Billy Wilder’s direction.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen fifty-nine, Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. I. A. L. Diamond joined Wilder in writing “Some Like It Hot.” It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play the musicians. They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women. Marilyn Monroe plays one of the band members. She wants to make Lemmon and Curtis believe she is a musician.

(MARILYN MONROE: “I’m Sugar Kane. My mother was a piano teacher and my father was a conductor”)

VOICE ONE:

Billy Wilder continued to make interesting movies through the nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies. As usual, he filled his movies with social comment and sexual situations. Over the years, however, other writers and directors also did this. By the nineteen eighties Wilder no longer was considered the most unusual, creative moviemaker in Hollywood.

VOICE TWO:

In recent years, however, Billy Wilder received many more awards and honors. Critics praised his gifts to movie making. In nineteen eighty-seven, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. It is the highest award a producer can receive.

Wilder died in March, two thousand two. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said: “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This VOA Special English program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver. I’m Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.

VeryCD上的2月下载贴已加精！

下载贴终于给整出来了。。。http://lib.verycd.com/2007/02/07/0000138789.html
还没下的去VeryCD上下吧
今天贴的VOASE0302_In the News的内容有关股市。前阵子曾有投资的冲动，不过由于迟钝没来得及出手，所以也就侥幸逃过交学费。对于股市我没有多少发言权，不过QQ上有一朋友的签名挺好玩的，有点黑色幽默：
英语太烂了，工作没戏了，股票暴跌了，还是安分点好。又是一个黑色星期二。好好看书吧。

VOASE0302_In the News

02 March 2007

Stock Market Investors Count Their Losses After a Bad Week Felt Near and Far
Tuesday's big selloff was blamed largely on concerns about China's markets and the US economy. Greenspan's comments may have also played a part.

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Financial markets around the world took investors on a shaky ride this week.

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday, February 27, 2007

On Tuesday, concerns about the health of Chinese markets and the United States economy helped send investors on a flight from risk. A selloff that began on the Shanghai stock market quickly spread to Europe and the United States. Markets in Africa and Latin America also suffered losses.

China's main stock market in Shanghai fell nine percent Tuesday. It was the worst drop in Chinese stocks in ten years. Investors hurried to sell their stocks as concern spread that the government might raise interest rates. There were also unconfirmed reports of a possible new tax on capital gains. Chinese officials denied those reports.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average of thirty major stocks dropped four hundred sixteen points, more than three percent. That was a loss about six billion dollars of shareholder value on the New York Stock Exchange. It was the biggest one-day drop since the first day of trading after the terrorist attacks in September of two thousand one.

But at one point Tuesday, after a month of moving up, the Dow was down as much as five hundred forty-six points.

The intense trading even overloaded the systems that continually compute the Dow Jones average. Traders had the wrong information for seventy minutes. But the Dow Jones company says it does not believe that the delay worsened the drop in the market.

Investors may have also been influenced by comments from Alan Greenspan. On Monday, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve said a recession was possible in the United States by the end of the year. Later, though, he said a recession is possible but not probable.

The current Federal Reserve chairman told Congress that the markets in the United States seemed to be working well. Ben Bernanke said the central bank still expects "moderate growth" in the economy this year. His comments Wednesday seemed to help calm the markets.

A better-than-expected manufacturing report on Thursday also helped stock prices, after an early drop on Wall Street. Another economic report had been blamed as one of the causes of Tuesday's big selloff.

On Tuesday the Commerce Department reported the biggest drop in three months in orders for durable goods in January. These are higher-priced goods designed to last three years or more, like cars and computers.

There was also concern in the markets this week about companies that deal in "subprime" home loans. These loans for people with weak credit histories have been popular in recent years. But many people are now having trouble paying them back.

All together, it was one of the worst weeks in several years for financial markets that have recently hit new highs. Investors hoped that their shaky ride was nothing more than a normal price correction.

And that's IN THE NEWS, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.