VOA慢速英语2009年-Development Report - Making a Difference:

This is the VOA Special English Development Report:

In two thousand five, Tanya Pinto was a successful young businesswoman in Dallas, Texas. But she decided¹ to take three months off from work at an advertising² company to visit her birthplace, India.

She volunteered at Mother Teresa's home for orphans³ in Kolkata. She also traveled, and saw children in great need.

TANYA PINTO: "And that experience was life changing. And that's why I decided to start a charity."

She returned to her job in Texas and began Baal Dan Charities. In Hindi, the name means "child donation."

India has an estimated eighteen million poor children. Some charity workers say the conditions on the streets are, if anything, worse than those shown in the film "Slumdog Millionaire." Many children depend on international charity projects like Baal Dan.

At first, Baal Dan provided street children with clothes. Today, the organization gives money to orphanages⁵, schools and local projects. The money provides food, medicine, schoolbooks and some education. The work is centered in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Kerala province.

Tanya Pinto started her project with small donations from friends and co-workers.

TANYA PINTO: "I would pass them in the hallway and they would say, 'Hey, the next time you go back to India, here is twenty dollars, here is fifty dollars, here is ten dollars for the children.'"

Today, Baal Dan has other financial supporters in the United States. People organize events to raise money. A restaurant in Dallas donates money whenever anyone orders "Tacos for a Cause."
　
Tanya with some of the students she is helping⁶ in India

In the next several years, Tanya Pinto hopes to begin sponsoring an orphanage⁴. She visits India as often as she can while working full-time⁷ at the advertising company. Her last trip was in May.

TANYA PINTO: "I will take the children on an outing as well. I will take them to the zoo or to the park. And so I'll do things that are really fun activities, because these are children who are living in unimaginable poverty. So I like to bring some fun into their lives."

(SOUND OF CHILDREN IN INDIA)

She talks about a trip when she visited a care center operated by a local group that her charity has helped. Two boys recognized her. They had met her at a shelter at a railway station the year before. The children, she says, were rescued from the streets and were doing well.

Tanya Pinto says you do not have to be wealthy or well known to help others.

TANYA PINTO: "Even if you are not a celebrity⁸, if you are not rich, if you are not famous, you can do something to help make this world a better place."

(SOUND OF CHILDREN IN INDIA)

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jerilyn Watson, with Gregg Flakus in Dallas. You can find transcripts⁹ and podcasts of our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

4 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。

5 orphanages   

孤儿院( orphanage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It is Rotarians running orphanages for children who have no homes. 扶轮社员们为没有家的孩子办孤儿院。
• Through the years, she built churches, hospitals and orphanages. 许多年来，她盖了一间间的教堂、医院、育幼院。

6 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。

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 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

9 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