(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
East Africa is a growing technology center. The area creates award-winning applications for various of mobile devices at a fast rate. The newly established companies there are full of imagination, what they lack are females.
One group in Uganda is working to guarantee that women are not left behind in the technology industry.
Christine Ampaire is a 23-year-old computer program engineer in Uganda. She says girls in Uganda are pressured from an early age to study what many consider to be easy subjects. She says that parents and teachers often think math and science are too difficult for girls.
"I won't say they think girls are stupid, they just think that the hard stuff is for boys because they are stronger. They generally assume because she's weaker physically, maybe mentally she will not cope with the hard stuff," said Ampaire.
But Ms. Ampaire knows better. Two years ago, she co-founded Girl Geek Kampala, the group teaches women the skills they need to make profitable applications and websites. They also bring in female technology leaders to speak to the students and serve as models of success in business. Ms. Ampaire says one thing Uganda women lack is the belief that they are able to do things.
"In our class, most of the girls just kept quiet and took the back seat when it came to doing coursework and all these other things. I thought maybe if we had an environment where it's no judgment, it's safe for everyone to say, ‘I want to start from the beginning,' it would be really cool," said Ampaire.
But Ms. Ampaire also says Uganda women need more than just trust in themselves.
"I feel the skills are part of that whole process of building confidence. If I can write my whole app by myself, then I'll be more confident to say I'm a girl in tech," said Ampaire.
Girl Geek's courses are free, they are held in facilities donated by a technology company. Christine Ampaire estimates that they have trained around 150 women so far. Similar programs have been created in Kenya and South Africa. Ms. Ampaire says in years past, she would know everyone of the women at technology events she attended across Africa. Now the computer programmer says she sees more and more new faces.
"That kind of excites me. I'm like, 'Wow, we are growing.' The gender imbalance is still high, but you can see the difference. The change is happening," said Ampaire.
Joldeen Mirembe joined Girl Geek as a beginner two years ago. She was not sure that she had the ability to write code. Now, she helps lead the group and teaches classes herself. Ms. Mirembe says Africans are eager for technology.
"Everyone here is so hungry to get these things and understand them. They just need to be given the opportunity, especially the girls. They can be as good as anyone out there, given the opportunity," she said.
Ms. Ampaire believes that for Ugandan women to truly succeed in technologies, they need to create openings for themselves. She says no one else is going to do that.
I'm Jonathan Evans.
词汇解释
1.coursework n. 作业，修习；指定功课，职业培训
Coursework accounts for 40% of the final marks.
课程作业占最后总成绩的40%。
2.imbalance n. 不平衡；不安定
Increased recruitment of women engineers will help correct the gender imbalance in the profession.
多聘请女工程师有助于平衡这一职业中存在的性别失衡。
3.programmer n. [自][计] 程序设计员
We have a vacancy for a computer programmer.
我们有一个电脑编程师缺额。
内容解析
1.Now, she helps lead the group and teaches classes herself. Ms. Mirembe says Africans are eager for technology.
eager for 渴望，迫切要
I am eager for you to meet my new friends.
我很想要你见见我的新朋友。
I am eager for the performance to begin.
我热切地等待演出开始。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
东非是个发展中的科技中心，该地区快速地为各种移动设备制造获奖的应用，该国新建的公司充满了想象力，但缺少的是女性。
乌干达一个组织努力确保妇女在科技行业中不被落在后面。
23岁的Christine Ampaire是乌干达的一名电脑程序工程师，她说乌干达的女孩们很小就被迫学习大家容易简单的科目，她说父母和老师们通常认为数学和科学对女孩来说太难了。
“我不是说他们认为女孩太傻，他们只是认为难的科目属于男孩子的，因为他们更强壮。他们通常认为女孩身体弱些，所以在心智上无法对付困难的东西。”
但Ampaire有更深的见解，两年前她参与创建了坎帕拉女孩极客组织，该组织教妇女们制作可盈利应用的网站的技能。她们还引入女性科技领袖来给学生们讲课，在商业发挥成功楷模的作用。Ampaire说乌干达妇女缺少的一样东西就是相信自己能做事的信念。
在我们的教室里，做功课和其他事情时，大多数女孩们只是安安静静地坐在后面。我以为如果我们的环境不予以评价，她们可能都会说‘我想从头学起’，这就会很棒！
但Ampaire还说，乌干达妇女需要的不仅是自信。
“我感觉技能是构建自信过程的一部分，如果我能靠自己完成整个应用，那么我会更自信地说我是个科技女孩。”
女孩极客的课程是免费的，她们所用的设备是一家科技公司捐赠的。Christine Ampaire估计到目前为止已培训了150名妇女，肯尼亚和南非也创建了类似的项目。Ampaire说在过去几年里参加非洲各地的科技活动时认识所有的妇女，现在这位电脑程序员说她看到越来越多的新面孔。
“这让我很兴奋，我们是在成长，性别不平等仍然严重，但你能看到有进步，现在就在发生改变。”
Joldeen Mirembe两年前作为初学者加入女孩极客组织，她当时不确定自己具备写编码的能力。现在她帮助领导该组织，并负责教学。她说非洲人现在很渴望学习科技。
“这里的每个人都渴望能学会知识，他们需要获得机会，尤其是女孩们。只要有机会，他们就能像其他地方的人一样出色。”
Ampaire认为乌干达妇女要真正在科技领域取得成功，就需要为自己创造机会，她说没有人可以为自己做这些。
我是乔纳森·伊万斯。
