VOA慢速英语 200707180041

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Egypt has fully¹ banned the tradition that some call female circumcision and others call female genital mutilation. The government acted after a girl in southern Egypt died. Her mother took her to a doctor to perform the operation.


Hundreds of girls at a protest in Assiut, Egypt, carry posters showing Badour Shaker

Twelve-year-old Badour Shaker reportedly was given too much anesthesia to kill the pain. Her death in June created public anger against the traditional practice.

Part or all of the clitoris and other tissue around the vagina are cut away. The practice is often seen for cultural reasons as a way to repress sexual desire and protect a girl's honor. Some parents also think it is connected with cleanliness.

But the cutting is often done by someone without medical training, clean tools or even anesthesia. Infections are common. Victims can also go into shock from pain and bleeding.

Experts say long-term problems can include painful growths and thick scar tissue. These can interfere² with reproductive ability and childbirth.

The World Health Organization says the practice is dangerous physically³ as well as emotionally. Still, the United Nations says that in Africa, more than three million girls each year have it done to them.

In Egypt and Sudan the cutting is performed on both Muslim and Christian⁴ girls. It is also common in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The death of Badour Shaker led the Egyptian Health Ministry⁵ to strengthen a nineteen ninety-six ban on female genital cutting. The operation was still permitted in some cases. This was true since Egypt first banned the practice in nineteen fifty-nine.

After the recent death, Egypt's Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa condemned⁶ what he called a harmful tradition forbidden by Islam. The grand mufti is the country's top official for giving Islamic legal opinions.

Other countries are also taking action. Norway said it would bar families from leaving the country if the suspected purpose was to have the cutting done.

And in London, police have just offered money for information leading to anyone carrying out female genital mutilation in the British capital. Police officials say it is a human rights violation⁷ and extreme child abuse that can involve girls as young as four. The police launched the campaign during summer because the extended holiday period is believed to be when families most often have it done.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver⁸. For more health news, go to www.unsv.com. I'm Faith Lapidus.

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

7 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。