VOA慢速英语20060104b

EXPLORATIONS - Young People Around the World Are Active in PoliticsBy Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with Explorations in VOA Special English. Today we tell about how young people around the world are influencing politics in their own countries.


A Youth meeting in Liberia.

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VOICE ONE:

Patrick McHenry is the youngest member in the United States House of Representatives. This Republican from North Carolina is just thirty years old. But he says his age never stopped him from seeking office.

Congressman² McHenry is like many young Americans. He developed a love of politics while in college. Voter groups and political parties are active at colleges and universities across the country. Karl Bach heads a group called the New Voters Project at George Mason University in Virginia. This organization tries to sign up, or register, as many young voters as possible. The voting age in the United States is eighteen.

VOICE TWO:

Other young activists³, such as Chris Brooks⁴, work on campaigns. Mister Brooks is a member of College Republicans at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In November, he and other club members traveled to the state of New Jersey⁵ to campaign for the Republican candidate for governor. A group of College Democrats⁶ from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia also traveled to New Jersey. They campaigned for their party's candidate for governor. Although their political interests are different, the members of both groups have one thing in common 鈥?a love of politics.

VOICE ONE:

Many young people also work for the national political parties at their colleges or universities. The National College Republicans have two hundred thousand members at one thousand five hundred colleges around the nation. The group's president is Paul Gourley. He is a student at the University of South Dakota. But he has an office in Washington, D. C. and earns seventy-five thousand dollars a year. The job, he says, permits him to be the voice for other people his age.

Young people working in congressional offices on Capitol Hill feel the same. The average age of the estimated ten thousand full-time⁷ employees is thirty-one. Hundreds of even younger people work for little or no money. Most of these interns⁸ are college students. They open mail, answer telephones, or follow bills through the legislative⁹ process.

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VOICE TWO:

Government work is not the only way that young people are affecting politics. Thousands work for non-profit groups, political organizations and research organizations in Washington. For example, twenty-four year old Faaiza Rashid researches South Asian issues at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She was born in Pakistan, has lived in several countries in the Middle East and speaks several languages. Her age, she says, has not stopped her supervisors¹⁰ from taking her seriously.

VOICE ONE:

Faaiza Rashid is one of many young immigrants influencing politics in the United States. Cambodian immigrant Davy Kong is a press officer at Millennium¹¹ Challenge Corporation. This government organization gives aid money to developing nations. She says she was taught in school that American culture includes politics. Political involvement, she says, is part of being a citizen.

Stan Dai, a Chinese immigrant, agrees that political activism is part of citizenship¹². He is the president of the Conservative Student Union at George Washington University. Mister Dai believes more and more immigrants will become politically active as they continue to live in the United States.

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VOICE TWO:

Young people in other countries are also interested in politics. In Africa, a group of one hundred sixty young people from forty-five countries is trying to improve development. The African Youth Parliament was launched in Nairobi, Kenya in two thousand three. Members work on projects dealing¹³ with poverty, armed and social conflicts and health issues such as H-I-V and AIDS.

VOICE ONE:

Parliament member Omowumi Olumide Obidiran teaches information and communications technology to young people in Nigeria. She says she is concerned about the so-called digital divide between Africa and the western world. People who cannot connect to the Internet computer system are caught in this divide. The Internet helps people share information, communicate with family and friends, and start businesses.

To help bridge the divide, Miz Obidiran helped start an organization called the Global Resource Information Network. The group urges young people to use information and communication technology to change their societies.

VOICE TWO:

Another member of the African Youth Parliament is twenty-five year old Ansuya Naidoo. Doctor Naidoo is concerned about AIDS and H-I-V, the virus that spreads the deadly disease. She works at a hospital in South Africa. She also works at community health centers. Doctor Naidoo believes that educating women about their sexual choices will help stop the spread of H-I-V and AIDS.

VOICE ONE:

Benedict Thuita, a twenty-two-year-old law student Kinuthia is involved in youth politics as well. He works for the Kenyan Youth Parliament, which has ties to the African Youth Parliament. Mister Kinuthia wants politicians to consider the concerns of young Kenyans. In his job, he urges young people to campaign for political parties or seek elected office.

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VOICE TWO:

The youth population in some Middle Eastern countries is also a growing force for change. In Egypt, for example, pro-democracy activists held hundreds of street protests last year.

The loosely organized movement is known as Kifaya, the Arabic world for enough. People in their twenties and thirties led many of the demonstrations¹⁴.

Thirty-eight-year-old Ahmed Salah is a member of the Egyptian group Youth For Change. This organization is linked to the Kifaya movement. Mister Salah believes the problems facing Egypt are common in other parts of the Arab world. He says the Kifaya movement has influenced pro-democracy groups in other countries, such as Tunisia and Yemen.

VOICE ONE:

For many years, young people in other Middle Eastern countries have pushed for political change. For example, in nineteen seventy-nine, university students played a major part in the Iranian revolution. Young Iranians were also behind the push for change that brought reformist President Mohammed Khatamei to power in nineteen ninety-seven. But the promised reforms never took place. Many young Iranians lost interest in politics. Voters in Iran elected a conservative president last year.

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VOICE TWO:

In the past, young people in several Asian countries have pushed for political change as well. Efforts were successful in helping¹⁵ to bring democracy to South Korea. Today, however, political experts say few Asian youth are involved in politics. They say the values of young Asians now are a sign of how Asia has changed. Youthful activism grew from anger over repressive governments. But experts say interest in politics has weakened as areas of Asia have developed and personal freedoms have increased.

VOICE ONE:

Bam Aquino heads the Philippine National Youth Commission. He says young Filipinos are angry because politicians have failed to create economic growth in the country. As a result, he says many young people do not get involved in politics. Mister Aquino believes that involving young people in community development is a better way to build political interest than protests.

Rajendra Mulmi in Nepal feels the same. His group, Youth Initiative in Kathmandu, plans programs for young people. It organizes debates, political discussions and government training programs. Mister Mulmi says he is trying to increase social and political interest in Nepal through education.

VOICE TWO:

Some youth leaders are hopeful that Asia's young people will once again become a powerful force for change. But experts say this will not happen until young Asians regain¹⁶ trust in political organizations and government. For these are the organizations and government that they, and other young people around the world, will one day have to lead.

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VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Jill Moss. It was produced by Mario Ritter. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

3 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》

4 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

8 interns   

n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留，关押( intern的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作，接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

9 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

10 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

11 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

12 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

13 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

14 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。