(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Hundreds of Thousands of Somalis Displaced by Drought, Conflict
Drought and conflict have caused a new displacement crisis in the southern part of Somalia.
Gerard Waite is chief of mission for the International Organization for Migration Somalia. He said about 800,000 people fled their homes over the past seven months. This is in addition to the 1.1 million people already displaced in the country.
"We have a displacement crisis on top of a drought crisis," Waite said.
Poor camp conditions
He also said that the newly displaced people have put heavy pressure on existing camps.
"These camps are, by and large, not very well managed. They are normally on private land in very cramped conditions. They do not have the basic services in these camps," Waite said.
The displaced people are not living in healthy conditions, and are forced to drink unclean water. This has caused over 71,000 cases of cholera or severe diarrhea in 2017, resulting in nearly 1,100 deaths.
"Water shortages have meant that people are drinking higher-risk water, taking water which they know to be contaminated but they drink it anyway," Waite said.
Difficult weather patterns
Climate experts say the recent rainy season was well below average this year. It usually lasts from April to June. The next rainy season is not expected until October, but experts warn there will be heavy crop losses.
In addition, climate estimates suggest that there is a 45 percent chance of an El Ni?o weather event late in 2017. That could cause a further reduction in rain.
An El Ni?o is an irregular weather event usually resulting in warmer-than-average temperatures in some places around the world.
Waite said about 6.7 million people in Somalia are either suffering or near suffering from a food crisis.
Managing and preparing for drought
According to Waite, the International Organization for Migration has learned from Somalia's drought in 2011. In that period of extremely dry weather, 200,000 people are believed to have died.
"The need to deliver health systems to these places is extremely pressing," Waite said. However, he said they are also trying to work with the Somali government to create spaces that are better controlled and managed.
Somalia's finance minister, Abdirahman Duale Beyle, told VOA in May that the droughts in Somalia are cyclical. He also said Somalia has become too dependent on external aid.
"We have to change that kind of attitude," Beyle said.
There are projects meant to prepare Somalia for droughts, however.
The IOM, for example, is introducing drought-resistant potatoes. The U.N. Development Program is helping with several projects, including creating below-surface water tanks, wells, and community water storage ponds in Somaliland.
Beyle said now is the time for Somalis themselves to take responsibility for solving the problem.
"We have the technology, the intelligence and the know-how to break the link between drought and famine," he said.
I'm Phil Dierking.
词汇解析
1.external aid 外部援助
The figure represents around half of the external aid the Sao Tome government expected to garner as a result of the meeting.
该数字是圣普政府希望通过此次会议获得外来援助的一半 。
2.water tank 水箱
Never leave young children unattended near any pool or water tank.
千万不能放任小孩呆在水池或水槽附近不管 。
3.food crisis 粮食危机
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the food crisis has forced millions of families into poverty and hunger.
联合国秘书长潘基文表示食品危机已经导致上百万家庭的贫困和饥荒 。
4.well managed 管理良好的
If resources are well managed, they turn into gold and foreign exchange reserves.
如果合理利用资源,资源将变成黄金和外汇储备 。
内容解析
1.This is in addition to the 1.1 million people already displaced in the country.
in addition to 除...之外
In addition to the tractor, we have acquired a new rice transplanter.
除了拖拉机,我们又添了一台插秧机 。
In China, both late marriages and late childbirth are advocated, in addition to fewer and better births.
在中国,晚婚晚育和少生优生均受到提倡鼓励 。
2.He also said that the newly displaced people have put heavy pressure on existing camps.
put pressure on 给...施加压力
He may have put pressure on her to agree.
他可能向她施加了压力,迫使她同意 。
They put pressure on the Government to change its intransigent stance.
他们向政府施压以迫使其改变不妥协的立场 。
参考译文
数十万索马里人因干旱战乱流离失所
干旱、冲突导致索马里南部地区出现新一轮难民危机 。
杰拉德·韦特(Gerard Waite)是国际移民组织索马里地区的负责人 。他表示,在过去的7个月里,约80万人逃离家乡 。此前,该地已有110万人无家可归 。
韦特表示,“旱灾后紧接着出现了难民危机 。”
他还称,新增难民使现存的难民营不堪重负 。
“总体来说,这些难民营管理不善 。它们大多设置在拥挤的私人区域 。难民营也缺乏基础的服务设施 。”
难民的生活环境也十分恶劣,他们不得不饮用未经处理的水源 。截止2017年,超7.1万人因此患上霍乱或痢疾,导致近1100人死亡 。
韦特表示,“水资源匮乏意味着人们必须饮用较高致病风险的水源,即使知道水体被污染,但却别无他法 。”
气象专家表示,今年的雨季的降水量远低于平均值 。通常每年的雨季都是从4月持续到6月 。下次雨季可能要等到10月份,但专家警告称,今年的粮食将遭受重大损失 。
另外,气象预报显示,2017年末厄尔尼诺天气出现的几率为45% 。这可能会导致降雨量进一步减少 。
厄尔尼诺是一种不规律的气候现象,通常会导致全球某些地区的气温超出平均值 。
韦特表示,约670万索马里人面临着或即将面临粮食危机 。
韦特还指出,国际移民组织已经从2011年索马里干旱灾害中汲取教训 。据悉,当时的极端干旱天气导致20万人死亡 。
韦特称,“在这些地区建立医疗卫生机制迫在眉睫 。”然而,他表示,他们也正在与索马里政府合力创造更加便于控制和管理的空间 。
5月份,索马里财政部长阿布迪拉曼·杜阿莱·贝尔(Abdirahman Duale Beyle)向VOA表示,索马里的干旱周而复始 。索马里现在已经过度依赖外界援助 。
贝尔表示,“我们必须转变这一心态” 。
不过,为了应对索马里的干旱,许多项目已经就绪 。
例如,国际移民组织正在引进抗旱土豆 。联合国开发计划署在索马里兰开展了数个项目,包括建造地下水箱、水井以及社区蓄水池 。
贝尔称,是时候让索马里自己承担责任、解决问题了 。
他说,“我们有技术,有头脑,深谙如何打破干旱和饥荒之间的恶性联系 。”
菲尔·迪尔金为您播报 。
译文为可可英语翻译,未经授权请勿转载!
