VOA慢速英语-Development Report - Architecture for Humanity Helps

The nonprofit group provides free services and launched the Open Architecture Network. Transcript¹ of radio broadcast:
06 July 2008

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Slums are densely² populated areas of housing where people live in poverty and dirty conditions. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that by two thousand twenty, a billion and a half people will live in slums. These are among the people that a group called Architecture for Humanity wants to help.
　

The Open Architecture Network has about 12,000 registered users and 2,000 projects. Anyone can add projects and ideas to the site.

Architecture for Humanity is a nonprofit organization based in California. The group provides free design and architectural services to poor communities.

Cameron Sinclair is the executive director. He says Architecture for Humanity has developed a network of about four thousand architects in one hundred countries. They partner with local communities to work on projects. Cameron Sinclair says a "community design" process gives everyone an equal share in the project.

Architecture for Humanity also provides money and skills training to build structures. In some cases, this training has led to separate micro businesses within communities.

Architecture for Humanity is ten years old and has built about two hundred fifty structures around the world.

The group is building schools in West Africa through a partnership³ with UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. And it is working with football's governing organization, FIFA, to build sport centers in Africa before the two thousand ten World Cup.

The group also designed housing and community plans in Sri Lanka after the South Asian tsunami⁴ in two thousand four.

Structures built by the nonprofit do not require electric power.

Two years ago, Architecture for Humanity launched a Web site to make architectural plans and drawings freely available for download. The Open Architecture Network has about twelve thousand registered users and two thousand projects. Anyone can add projects and ideas to the site, openarchitecturenetwork.org.

Cameron Sinclair predicts that the Open Architecture Network will one day have enough designs to fit any environment or situation.

Architecture for Humanity has a budget this year of almost one and a half million dollars. The executive director says about ninety percent goes toward materials, labor⁵ and skills training.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss⁶. A link to Architecture for Humanity can be found at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts⁷ and MP3s of our reports, and learn about other nonprofits working in the developing world.

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 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 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。

7 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句