VOA慢速英语2018 117岁玻利维亚老人许是在世最年长的老人（在线收听）

117-Year-Old Bolivian May Be Oldest Person in the World

In a few weeks, Julia Flores Colque will celebrate her 118th birthday. She is the oldest woman in Bolivia. Following the death of a woman in Japan earlier this year, Flores Colque may now be the oldest person in the world.

几周后，茱莉亚·弗洛雷斯·科克将庆祝她118岁生日。她是玻利维亚最年长的女性。随着今年上半年日本的一位女性去世，弗洛雷斯·科克现在可能是世界上最年长的人了。

Her national paper says Flores Colque was born on October 26, 1900 in the mountains of Bolivia.

她的身份证显示，科克于1900年10月26日生于玻利维亚山区。

During her long life, Flores Colque has seen two world wars. Her home country of Bolivia had a major revolution. And the town where she is from, Sacaba, has grown from 3,000 people to 175,000.

在她漫长的一生中，科克经历了两次世界大战，以及她祖国玻利维亚发生的一场重大革命。她生长的地方萨卡巴小镇，人口从3000人增长到17.5万人。

But right now, Flores Colque seems mostly interested in her dogs, cats and rooster. She has not heard of the Guinness Book of World Records, and she does not care if experts confirm she is the oldest person alive.

但如今，科克似乎对她的狗、猫和公鸡最感兴趣。她还没听说过《吉尼斯世界纪录大全》，也不在乎专家是否会确认她是在世年龄最大的人。

She's always been active, easygoing and fun, says her grandniece, who lives with her in a simple home with a dirt floor.

“她总是很好动、随和和有趣”，她的侄孙女说到，该侄孙女与她同住在一个（地板是）泥地面的简陋的房子里。

Government officials have paid for some improvements to the house, adding a brick path and railings so Flores Colque can walk safely. The Sacaba mayor's office calls Flores Colque part of the country's living history.

政府官员已经拨了一些款以改善其住房条件，（比如）铺了一条砖路，增加了栅栏，以便弗洛雷斯·科克可以安全的行走。萨卡巴镇镇长办公室称科克是该国生活史的一部分。

On the day a reporter from the Associated Press visited, Flores Colque was playing a small guitar called the charango and singing old songs in her native language of Quechua.

在一名美联社记者上门拜访的当天，科克正在弹着被叫做恰兰戈（拉丁美洲小吉他）的小吉他，并用她的母语盖丘亚语唱着古老的歌谣。

If you would have told me you were coming, I'd have remembered all the songs, she joked. Then she dipped her finger into a cake and smiled while she licked the frosting.

她开玩笑到：“要是你告诉我你要来的话，我会记得所有的歌曲。”然后，她把手指戳进蛋糕里，边笑边舔着（手指上）的糖霜。

When she was growing up, Flores Colque herded sheep and llamas in the Bolivian highlands. Then she moved to a valley, where she sold fruits and vegetables. Those fruits and vegetables became her main food, and she still eats a healthy diet - except for a piece of cake and a glass of soda sometimes. She never married and does not have children.

在她成年后，科克在玻利维亚高地放绵羊和美洲驼。后来她搬到一处山谷，在那里卖水果蔬菜，这些水果和蔬菜我成为她的主要食物，除了偶尔吃块蛋糕、喝杯苏打水之外，她仍然保持健康的饮食习惯。她终身未婚，也没有孩子。

Today, the AP reporter says Flores Colque looks like a stone statue. She cannot hear very well, but she is alert and scolds her small dog when the animal goes into the road.

今天，美联社记者说弗洛雷斯·科克看起来像一个石雕。她听力不太好，但她很警觉，当它的狗走到马路上时她会训斥它。

Flores Colque's age would make her interesting anywhere, but it is especially notable in Bolivia. The United Nations says the country has one of the South America's highest levels of death.

科克的年纪让她在任何地方都会引人关注，但在玻利维亚尤其受到关注。联合国表明，玻利维亚是南美死亡率最高的国家之一。

Words in This Story

easygoing - adj. relaxed and informal

frosting - n. a sweet, creamy mixture that is used to cover cakes

scold - v. to speak in an angry or critical way