VOA双语新闻：12、索马里首都治安改善 夜场篮球赛悄然回归（在线收听）

索马里首都治安改善 夜场篮球赛悄然回归

For the first time in decades, young basketball players in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, are enjoying better security and playing tournaments at night - attracting more fans.

在索马里首都摩加迪沙，年轻的篮球运动员几十年来首次享受到了安全、愉快的夜间篮球比赛。比赛也吸引了许多球迷前去观看。

For years, warlords and terrorists groups denied young Somalis the ability to even play sports.

此前的多年间，地方军阀和恐怖组织的横行让索马里的年轻人无缘参加体育运动。

At the Wiish Stadium in Mogadishu, enthusiastic fans filled the capital’s basketball court to witness target=_blank class=infotextkey>witness a night sporting event - the first in two decades.

索马里首都摩加迪沙的威伊斯体育场座无虚席，热情的球迷们前来见识夜场篮球赛的盛况。这在二十多年以来还是首次。

Before entry, guards frisk all the supporters to assure attendees, basketball players and officials the game will be secure.

入场之前，安保人员对球迷进行了全面安检，以确保观众、篮球运动员及裁判与组织人员的安全，使得比赛能够顺利进行。

Most of these young Somalis - born after the collapse of the government two decades ago - have never attended a night sports event. This is something the Somali Basketball Federation said is changing now that the country’s security is improving after gains by African Union and Somali forces against al-Shabab militants.

绝大多数的索马里年轻人都是出生在二十多年前政府垮台之后。他们从未见识过夜间的体育比赛。索马里篮球联合会说，在非盟和索马里政府军联合打击了索马里青年党、当地治安好转之后，这种情况正在改变。

“Many challenges facing the country but security is improving compared to the previous years. Things are changing and that’s why we organized the events to take place at night,” said Hawa Sheikh Ahmed, Deputy Chair of the Somali Basketball Association.

索马里篮球联合会副主席哈瓦·谢赫·艾哈迈德说：“国家仍然面临着许多挑战。但相比之前，治安正在改善。形势改变让我们现在能够组织夜间的比赛。”

Abdinassir Nur Gedi is a photojournalist, but plays basketball for a local Mogadishu team. He said sport is the best way to unite people and playing games at night will allow more people to come to the games after work.

阿比第纳塞尔是一名摄影记者，同时也在摩加迪沙的一个篮球队打球。他说运动是团结人最好的方法。夜场的比赛能使更多人在下班之后参与进来。

“I am very happy we play at night. It promotes and encourages security. Young people - me included - come here every evening to watch teams compete instead of wasting time on other irrelevant things," said Nur Gedi. "When I come here to watch the games I feel relaxed and happy that I didn’t waste my time on other things.”

阿比第纳塞尔说：“能够夜间打球我非常高兴。这样有助于宣传和改进安全局势。包括我在内的很多年轻人，每天晚上都来这里看球，而不是把时间浪费在不相干的事情上。我来看球的时候感到很放松，很快乐。我没有把时间浪费在其他事情上。”

Basketball is the most popular sport among university and high school students in the capital. While each of the 16 districts in Mogadishu has a basketball court, most of them are in a dilapidated state.

篮球在当地高中生和大学生中间是最为流行的运动。在摩加迪沙，每16个街道就有一个篮球场，但大多数都破旧不堪。

Somali Basketball Federation official Mustaf Abdiaziz Mohamed says they are working to change this and night games will attract more support and allow young Somalis to be more competitive in international tournaments.

索马里篮球联合会官员穆斯塔夫说，他们正在努力对此进行改变。夜场比赛会吸引更多的球迷，让索马里的年轻人在国际赛场上更有竞争力。

“Its historic for us because 25 years ago was the last time we witness target=_blank class=infotextkey>witnessed games being played at night. Twenty-five years ago basketball was played at night just like it’s always played in the other parts of the world. So our players will not have a hard time playing at night when they leave for tournaments abroad,” Mohamed said.

索马里篮球联合会的穆斯塔夫说：“对于我们来说，这是历史性的时刻。最后一次看夜场比赛还是25年前。25年之前，我们还和世界其他地方一样，有夜场篮球赛。将来我们的球员在出国比赛的时候，也能适应夜场比赛的气氛。”

In another sign of changing attitudes, the women’s basketball team is also gaining support - despite threats.

另一个形式改变的信号是，尽管面临威胁，女子篮球队也赢得很多支持。

This basketball court was named Adan Yabarow Wiish Stadium in honor of the late Somali Olympic committee chief, Adan Haji Yabarow - aka Wiish - who died in a terrorist attack.

这个篮球场被命名为阿丹·约伯鲁·威伊斯球场, 以纪念死于恐怖袭击的索马里前任奥委会主席威伊斯。

It's just one more sign that Somalia is turning from violent anarchy, establishing normalcy and - as the government hopes - creating a safer, prosperous future for its young people.

这也标志着此前处于无政府状态的索马里正在逐步走向正常化，而且如索马里政府所期望的，为年轻人建立一个安全、繁荣的未来。