VOA常速英语:Former British Prime Minister Calls for Increased Investment in Sierra Leone

短语讲解：

1. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he came to Sierra Leone to follow up on his initiatives to help the country.

follow up跟着; 追逐; 继续
例句：The chairman followed up with another question.
主席接着又提了一个问题。

2. Some of those priorities have to do with health care some to do with agriculture and energy, and of course investments and business.

have to do with与…有关
例句：Tears have nothing to do with sadness.
眼泪和悲哀没有关系。

3. We want more businesses to come into Sierra Leone to base themselves here to create jobs to create health for the people because we need to get the living standards of the country lifted.

come into进入
例句：Would you come into the bar and have a drink with me?
你愿意进酒吧和我喝一杯吗?

4. My message is come and invest," said the former prime minister, "but to do so in a good way in a way that would help us with the development of the country.

help with帮助(某人)做…
例句：He's helping with odd jobs.
他在帮着干杂活。

5. You know you see this in everywhere in Africa right now there is a buzz about it and an energy and we got to convert that into practical business and jobs and development.

convert into把…转变成，把…转化为
例句：The old barn we bought to convert into flats was practically tumbling down.
那个旧谷仓我们买下想改建住房的，实际上已经快塌了。

6. The former British Prime Minister said he is also looking at ways the religious community can join in the fight against malaria.

look at看, 注视
例句：My work hasn't been looked at for a week.
我干了一个星期的工作也没人看一眼。
join in参加, 加入
例句：They came out for their morning exercise. I also joined in.
他们出去做早操, 我也参加了。

7. This is part of a project where we fight malaria by mobilizing the resources and the infrastructure of the faith community so that people know how to tackle malaria, how to use the bed nets that are made available to them, how to take the right drugs how to seek the most appropriate treatment.

so that以便
例句：I will give you all the facts so that you can judge for yourself.
我会给你所有的事实以便你可以自己判断。

8. "So the idea," he said, "is you spread this out, and we hope to reach somewhere in the region of 70,000 families [by doing this] and if it works then we can start expanding this in different parts of Africa.”

spread out (使)散开；扩展
例句：They're spreading out in the market.
他们在不断地扩大市场。

9. “Well I was in Abuja a couple of days ago myself," he said.

a couple of 两个, 几个
例句：There are a couple of possibilities.
有很多种可能性。

10. I am afraid this extremism is here in many parts of the world, and we’ve got to face up to it and we’ve got to deal with it.

face up to勇敢地接受〔面对〕, 正视(而不畏缩)
例句：We must face up to our responsibilities and not try to get out of them.
我们必须勇敢地担当起我们的责任, 而不应当试图推卸责任。
deal with应付, 处理; 对待
例句：He must deal with many difficulties.
他必须应付许多困难。