英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why Tunisians are now risking their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe

时间:2023-10-09 15:40来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Why Tunisians are now risking their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean1 to Europe

Transcript2

Overlooking the harbor in Zarzis in southeast Tunisia, fisherman-turned-café owner Lotfi Bin3 Mohammed Issa serves up small cups of coffee. The fishermen at his café look out over the Mediterranean where their colleagues prep wooden boats with traps and nets for the next day's work.

"The sea always has something to offer," he said. His face is lined from decades in the sun, and his voice gravelly from years of smoking. "You can always get fish from the sea. It's God who gives us these blessings4."

For 41 years the Mediterranean has provided. It's how Bin Mohammed Issa educated his two older daughters and how he supported his teenage son.

But in the last decade, the sea has shown him things he wishes he could forget.

"We see bodies when we go fishing," he said. "It's always the fishermen who are on the frontlines."

The fishermen are witnesses to the difficult choices that people make to leave their homelands and risk the journey across the sea on makeshift boats to Europe to escape famine, violence, repression5 or economic crisis.

"Every time I find a body I can't sleep for a week," he said. "We're supposed to fish for fish, not bodies."

On one of his fishing trips in 2013 he came across a sinking boat with 280 people from Sub-Saharan Africa on board. He pulled them onto his fishing boat and took them to Zarzis. A woman gave birth on the journey to the shore.

At the time, it was mostly people from other parts of Africa attempting to reach Europe — and sometimes dying in the process.

So many people drown off the coast of Zarzis that there are two cemeteries6 for unidentified non-Tunisians found at sea. One is named the Garden of Africa, created by an Algerian artist to give the unnamed a beautiful place to rest. Ornate tiles create the walkways between grave and olive trees grow on the perimeter7.

But now Bin Mohammed Issa is seeing more and more Tunisians— men, women and children— making the decision to go.

As of October 2022, more than 45,000 Tunisians have tried to cross to Italy, some successfully, according to the Tunisian Forum8 for Social and Economic Rights. The International Organization for Migration9 has also tracked a sharp increase in the number of Tunisians making the journey since 2020. Increasingly, it's families and children boarding these boats including children traveling alone. This year at least 150 Tunisians have drowned off the coast.

What's driving them is years of post-revolution political paralysis10 and infighting that has failed to reform an economic system built on cronyism11 and systemic corruption12. Add to that the pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine and people are facing food shortages, soaring energy prices, acute inflation and growing unemployment. Tunisia's economy is on the brink13 of collapse14 if the country doesn't get an infusion15 of cash through an IMF loan. To get it, the state has to make cutbacks that will be painful and unpopular.

Meanwhile, nearly 12 years after a revolution that overthrew16 a dictator, there's widespread concern, that the budding democracy that was being built here is at risk under the current President Kais Saied as he consolidates17 power and arrests political opponents.

Saied rejects the criticism and this week he blamed unnamed "foreign forces" for shoring up opposition18 to his rule in an interview with the Washington Post. He's in Washington DC for the Africa Summit. The steps he's taken, he claims, are to "correct the course of the revolution."

Bin Mohammed Issa is worried about a future in Tunisia without a generation of its youth.

"Young people now, they cannot afford anything even if they work their whole life," he said.

He remembers when Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in 2010. The fruit vendor19 doused20 himself in gasoline after a police officer slapped him and took his street cart and produce. His act of desperation was for dignity and a better life. It made the rest of Tunisia erupt in protest and force a decades-long dictator out of power.

"We had hopes, big hopes. Then those people, those politicians came." Bin Mohammed Issa said. "We thought they were going to create a better situation for us. But it was a cake. They split it between them and they left us the leftovers21. That wasn't enough for us to stop feeling hungry."

If Bouazizi were alive today, he said, the fruit vendor would set himself on fire again.

The desire to leave Tunisia, particularly among the young, is spreading. So many of Bin Mohammed Issa teenage son's friends have left on rickety boats headed to Europe that the boy can barely find anyone to hang out with in their neighborhood.

"When young people have a dream, they are in a trance. They don't think about death anymore," He said. "All they think about is how to make money, how to make their families happy, how to stop their mothers from working in houses and their fathers from working in construction."

Now his youngest child begs his father to help him make the same journey.

"My son said to me 'either I go illegally or get me a visa to leave the country,'" Bin Mohammed Issa said. "I wish my son would stay with me. I want him to help me when I become old the way I help my 105-year-old mother now. But I don't see a future for him."

So, Bin Mohammed Issa may grow old without his children.

His daughter already left for work in Switzerland after sitting in Tunisia unemployed22 for years even with her college diploma.

THE TWO-WAY

More Than 100 Migrants Feared Dead In Capsizing Off Tunisia

Nowadays, so many young people in Zarzis have left that the city feels emptier. In the city center where people shop and dine, a group of 21-year-olds are sipping24 coffee and scrolling25 through their phones at a café.

Of the four friends, only Muntaser Kardami still lives in Tunisia. The others have all migrated to France and are home for a visit. He wants to leave like his friends have. "There are no jobs. There's nothing," he said, "we have no solution."

Democracy, in his opinion, has failed him.

He has lost count of the number of people he grew up with that have left. Those who got visas went on a plane. The rest have gone on boats across the Mediterranean, or by land, first to Serbia, and then smuggled26 across the borders to Switzerland, and then France. He wants to leave too.

"But no risk," Kardami said. "I want to fly Emirates or maybe Qatar Airways27."

On the wall next to the café graffiti reads "the country of death." It's a reference to a makeshift boat that sank in September with 18 Tunisians from Zarzis on board.

Most were young men but also young women and a baby girl. Her name was Sajida.

Weeks later, fishermen began recovering bodies. One was identified only by the blue shorts he wore.

So far the remains28 of seven of the 18 were returned to their families, the rest are still missing. Family members fear their loved ones were buried in the cemeteries for unidentified non-Tunisians without their knowledge. They have no one to bury.

This is why Mounira Kerimi has sat across from the governor's office every day for some three months. She wants the local government to provide her with answers about her 18-year-old son Rayan Awdi and her two nephews who were on that boat.

Other mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of the missing join her on blue plastic chairs in the shade of a blooming tree.

"If they're dead, they can just bring them and drop them here in the street," she said. "And then we know that they are dead."

The lack of certainty deepens the grief of losing her only son.

The night before Awdi left, he showered, sat with his mother, and shared that he was leaving. He claimed that he wanted to continue his studies in another region of Tunisia. She had a feeling he was lying. So she asked her niece where her son really went. That's when she found out the truth. Awdi had snuck off with his cousins to get on a boat headed to Italy.

"My son wanted me to stop cleaning homes," Kerimi said. "I remember once I was going home after work and Rayan was crying because he saw how tired his mother was. All my son wanted when he left was to improve his mother's situation. But what happened is what happened."

She stops for a moment, losing herself in tears. Around her, other women nod. The food shortages are so acute that finding a bottle of milk is impossible these days.

"Imagine, the children of Zarzis don't have a sip23 of milk to drink," Kerimi said.

Wafaa Jertili sits nearby. Her brother Mohammed was also on that boat. He was 27, just ten months older than her.

"This country is killing29 its children. Imagine my brother is dead and I cannot find him. Do you think this is normal?" she said.

She pulls out her phone and plays a video. Her brother is laughing as he rides a four-wheeler through their city.

"He was a normal guy, living a normal life. The thing he wanted most to do was make my mother happy," Jertili said. It's why he left. To offer himself and his family a better future.

On December 17, there's another parliamentary election in Tunisia. Some are boycotting30 because they worry it will cement the current president's power grab. But Jertili's plan not to vote isn't a political statement. She's just lost faith in a political system that she said has given her nothing—not even her brother's body.

"I don't like this country anymore," she said. "Those who are in power are only thinking about their own children, how to give them the best education and how to send them abroad. They're not thinking about our children."

The day she can finally bury her brother, she said, she will leave Tunisia.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 Mediterranean ezuzT     
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的
参考例句:
  • The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
  • Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。
2 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
3 bin yR2yz     
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件
参考例句:
  • He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
  • He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。
4 blessings 52a399b218b9208cade790a26255db6b     
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
参考例句:
  • Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马,焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
5 repression zVyxX     
n.镇压,抑制,抑压
参考例句:
  • The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
  • This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。
6 cemeteries 4418ae69fd74a98b3e6957ca2df1f686     
n.(非教堂的)墓地,公墓( cemetery的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like. 不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • In other districts the proximity of cemeteries seemed to aggravate the disease. 在其它地区里,邻近墓地的地方,时疫大概都要严重些。 来自辞典例句
7 perimeter vSxzj     
n.周边,周长,周界
参考例句:
  • The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
  • Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。
8 forum cilx0     
n.论坛,讨论会
参考例句:
  • They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
  • The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
9 migration mDpxj     
n.迁移,移居,(鸟类等的)迁徙
参考例句:
  • Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
  • He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。
10 paralysis pKMxY     
n.麻痹(症);瘫痪(症)
参考例句:
  • The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
  • The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
11 cronyism taDyD     
n.任人唯亲,对好朋友的偏袒
参考例句:
  • Many small town mayor and city official practice cronyism.许多小镇的市长和大城市的官员都有任人唯亲的行为。
  • Bringing business people into politics can also produce corruption and cronyism.商人从政也容易带来腐败和任人唯亲。
12 corruption TzCxn     
n.腐败,堕落,贪污
参考例句:
  • The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
  • The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
13 brink OWazM     
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿
参考例句:
  • The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
  • The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。
14 collapse aWvyE     
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷
参考例句:
  • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
  • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
15 infusion CbAz1     
n.灌输
参考例句:
  • Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
  • Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。
16 overthrew dd5ffd99a6b4c9da909dc8baf50ba04a     
overthrow的过去式
参考例句:
  • The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
  • They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。
17 consolidates 10441ec4c0da0429b63e4ba2628212f8     
巩固
参考例句:
  • We've made a good start, now it's time to consolidate. 我们有了一个良好的开端,现在应该加以巩固。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Yuan Shih-k'ai, a would-be Oriental Bonaparte, now attempted to consolidate his power. 当时,一度可能成为东方波拿巴的袁世凯试图巩固他的权力。 来自英汉非文学 - 新闻报道
18 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
19 vendor 3izwB     
n.卖主;小贩
参考例句:
  • She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
  • He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。
20 doused 737722b5593e3f3dd3200ca61260d71f     
v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 );熄灯[火]
参考例句:
  • The car was doused in petrol and set alight. 这辆汽车被浇上汽油点燃了。
  • He doused the lamp,and we made our way back to the house. 他把灯熄掉,我们就回到屋子里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 leftovers AprzGJ     
n.剩余物,残留物,剩菜
参考例句:
  • He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。
  • She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。
22 unemployed lfIz5Q     
adj.失业的,没有工作的;未动用的,闲置的
参考例句:
  • There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
  • The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。
23 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
24 sipping e7d80fb5edc3b51045def1311858d0ae     
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
  • She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。
25 scrolling ee5631e545c57660dc98fd28795cb9ff     
n.卷[滚]动法,上下换行v.(电脑屏幕上)从上到下移动(资料等),卷页( scroll的现在分词 );(似卷轴般)卷起;(像展开卷轴般地)将文字显示于屏幕
参考例句:
  • Another important detail required by auto-scrolling is a time delay. 自动滚屏需要的另一个重要细节是时间延迟。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
  • In 2D visualization and drawing applications, vertical and horizontal scrolling are common. 在二维的可视化及绘图应用中,垂直和水平滚动非常普遍。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
26 smuggled 3cb7c6ce5d6ead3b1e56eeccdabf595b     
水货
参考例句:
  • The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网
27 AIRWAYS 5a794ea66d6229951550b106ef7caa7a     
航空公司
参考例句:
  • The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
  • At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。
28 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
29 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
30 boycotting 57a67b98478553c5793be6a3cf8759e5     
抵制,拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店,因为那里的店员在罢工。
  • The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
TAG标签:   美国新闻  英语听力  NPR
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴