美国国家公共电台 NPR--Canada is criticized for not getting more endangered Afghans into the country

Canada is criticized for not getting more endangered Afghans into the country

Transcript¹

A year ago, tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to safety following the Taliban's takeover. Canada pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghans but many remain in limbo².

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We've reported a lot in recent days on Afghanistan one year after the Taliban took power. This morning, we report on Afghans who fled. Canada promised to take in 40,000 refugees. And it has received a lot. But one year later, many have no homes. Emma Jacobs reports from Toronto.

(SOUNDBITE OF BABY CRYING)

EMMA JACOBS, BYLINE³: Abdullah Ghulam Rabani is the father of a healthy newborn son. But Omar is not the only thing keeping him awake at night. Abdullah is safely in Canada. He came here more than a decade ago after being injured in a bomb blast while working with Canadian Forces. But his father, Ghulam Rabani Nasar, also a military interpreter, is stuck halfway⁴ around the world in the Arab country of Qatar. So when Abdullah was in the hospital for his son's birth, his own father was frantically⁵ messaging him.

ABDULLAH GHULAM RABANI: I was in the hospital, and my dad - he's sending pictures, like, OK, what to do next? We should go back to Afghanistan. How we can go? - (crying) because we don't have a home.

JACOBS: Abdullah's father is desperate to come to Canada, along with his wife and eight children. They managed to escape from Afghanistan to Qatar last October with help from a Canadian nonprofit. Ever since they arrived in the small Arab nation, the family of 10 have been living in two rooms. And for months, they've only been allowed to go outside twice a week with a government escort.

A GHULAM RABANI: Hello?

NASAR GHULAM RABANI: Hello.

A GHULAM RABANI: (Speaking Pashto). You hear me?

JACOBS: Abdullah's father has forgotten most of his English since he hasn't worked with the Canadian military in many years. But the fact that he worked with them in the first place, he believes, still makes him a target in Afghanistan. So as his son explains here, he's still afraid to go home.

N GHULAM RABANI: (Speaking Pashto).

A GHULAM RABANI: My kids are always saying, like, why we are here with no education and, like, with unknown future? And for how long we will be here? And why we are punished?

JACOBS: Since last August, just over 17,000 Afghans have arrived in Canada - among them, Afghan interpreters who worked with the Canadian military, but also human rights activists⁶ and Afghan journalists. But critics say Canada has failed to make changes that would get more endangered Afghans to Canada as quickly as possible.

Retired⁷ major Mark Campbell is a Canadian veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was fighting alongside Abdullah when they were both seriously injured in 2008.

MARK CAMPBELL: I think the Canadian government has really dropped the ball in terms of its responsibility to those people that are left behind, particularly the ones that work directly with the Canadian Forces or the Canadian diplomatic effort in Kabul.

JACOBS: But the Canadian government strongly disagrees. The minister of immigration, Sean Fraser, says his country is doing all it can. But he says getting out of Afghanistan is difficult for many applicants⁸. And most of the spots in the resettlement program have already been allocated⁹. And what that means is some Afghans who worked with Canada will be left behind, as the minister acknowledges.

SEAN FRASER: The reality on the ground is that not every single person who would like to come to Canada, some of whom may have made a contribution to our effort there in some way, shape or form - it may not be possible for everyone to join. And, of course, some people will not want to come to Canada. Many, many, many will - many more than we can expect to resettle here.

JACOBS: Meanwhile, Abdullah sits in his Toronto apartment, surrounded by his stacks of paperwork relating to family members' cases, trying not to lose hope and to keep his family spirits up.

A GHULAM RABANI: I'm saying your file is in progress. Your file is in process. Don't worry. You will come to Canada.

JACOBS: It's what the Canadian government tells him. But like thousands of others, all this family can do is wait.

For NPR News, I'm Emma Jacobs in Toronto.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONOCLE TWINS' "MOMENTUM")

1 transcript   

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。

2 limbo   

n.地狱的边缘；监狱

参考例句：

• His life seemed stuck in limbo and he could not go forward and he could not go back.他的生活好像陷入了不知所措的境地，进退两难。
• I didn't know whether my family was alive or dead.I felt as if I was in limbo.我不知道家人是生是死，感觉自己茫然无措。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

5 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

9 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。