VOA慢速英语2013 AS IT IS 2013-05-03 Space Flights Can Harm Astronauts' Health

 

AS IT IS 2013-05-03 Space Flights Can Harm Astronauts' Health

Hello, again.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington.  Thank you for spending some time with VOA.  Today, we have two stories from Africa.  There is disturbing news about migrants in the Horn of Africa.  Then we hear from Burundi, where press freedom seems to be under attack.  But first, new dangers have been discovered for those who choose to face the “final frontier.”

United States Army researchers say even short trips into space can weaken the body’s natural defenses for fighting disease. The researchers found that this can increase the risk of serious infection.

The findings come from researchers at Fort Detrick in the state of Maryland. They studied information from a medical experiment performed on the final flight of the space shuttle Atlantis

The experiment was designed to show how the human immune system reacts to stress and disease in the microgravity conditions of Earth orbit. Microgravity is a nearly weightless condition in which there is very little gravity.

The experiment involved living human cells. They were placed in a clean, temperature-controlled container. The experiment was easy for astronauts traveling on the shuttle Atlantis. All they had to do was push a button to infect the cells with a common bacterial³ toxin⁴.

The container was in space for two weeks. Researchers with the Army Medical Command have spent the past two years studying the information it provided. They compared those findings with information from a similar experiment done on Earth at the same time, under normal gravity conditions.

Marti Jett directs the Integrative Systems Biology Program at the Medical Command. She says the cells were so busy dealing⁵ with microgravity that they could hardly fight against infections.

“We saw a rather similar thing there that these young men were so stressed from reduced sleep, their heavy exercise, their activities that their immune cells simply did not respond very well.”

The research on the human immune response in microgravity was reported at the Experimental Biology 2013 conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

Humanitarian⁶ agencies say thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa are living in terrible conditions along the Yemeni-Saudi Arabian border.  Many have been robbed and tortured by criminals.

Migrant workers from Africa below the Sahara Desert often believe that they can find jobs in Saudi Arabia.  But getting there can mean traveling to and through Yemen, where they become targets of smugglers and people who deal in human traffic.  Caty Weaver⁷ takes the story from there.

The routes to Yemen include long and dangerous boat trips from Somalia over the Gulf⁸ of Aden – and the much shorter trip from Djibouti across the Red Sea.  But there the people also are threatened by smugglers, who may rob or even kill them.

The International Organization for Migration⁹ – the IOM -- estimates that there are at least 25,000 migrants along the Yemen-Saudi border. Nicoletta Giordano is chief of mission in Yemen for the IOM.  She described the groups who are making the trip to the border.

“The majority are Ethiopian migrants, who undertake this really quite dangerous journey.  There’s also a number of refugees who come across.  They’re mostly Somalis, who are recognized as refugees automatically here in Yemen because Yemen is a signatory to the refugee convention.  But three-quarters of the flows coming across from the Horn of Africa are indeed Ethiopian migrants.”

Yemen does not recognize the Ethiopians as refugees.  Here again is Ms.Giordono:

“They find themselves destitute¹⁰ and quite exhausted¹¹ by the journey by the time they get to the border with Saudi.  And that’s where they fall prey¹² smugglers and traffickers with respect to the final leg of the journey over to Saudi Arabia.”

Some are held in camps by the smugglers.  Recently, Yemeni forces rescued almost 2000 migrants being held against their will. But even after they gain freedom there is little assistance available for the migrants. Aid agencies say their finances are low.  The IOM is appealing for 1.2 million dollars to help Yemen provide shelter, food and health care. I’m Caty Weaver.

Reporters in the African nation of Burundi are opposing a bill that they believe will limit press freedoms. Rights groups have been urging Burundi’s president to reject the measure, as Kelly Jean Kelly reports.

Earlier this month, Burundi’s senate approved a media bill that would force reporters to identify sources. Reporters would be required to say who supplied the information used in their stories. The bill also would bar the press from reporting on issues like public security, defense² and the economy.  Reporters and news agencies that violate the law could be required to pay thousands of dollars in fines.

Bob Rugurika is editor-in-chief of Radio Publique Africaine in Burundi. He told VOA reporter Gabe Joselow the proposed restrictions¹³ are unacceptable.

“There are many, many restrictions, he says. The law prevents us from working on news about security, the economy, the currency - imagine that.”

Rights groups including The Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International have urged President Pierre Nkurunziza to reject the bill. A large majority of members in both the national assembly and the senate voted for the measure. The ruling party has controlled both houses of parliament since the opposition¹⁴ boycotted¹⁵ elections in 2010. Lawmakers said the bill would protect Burundi’s citizens and leaders.

Burundi's government has a recent history of being firm with reporters. Police detained Mr. Rugurika several times over the past few years. In 2011 he was questioned for 10 hours after a broadcast report suggested that state security forces were responsible for killing¹⁶ 40 people.

In March, officials released reporter Hassan Ruvakuki. He was arrested in 2011 on terrorism charges after he met with rebels in Tanzania. The reporter said he was only doing his job at the time. The charges were reduced during his appeal. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  Thank you for spending some time with us on this Thursday, the second day of May.  On this date in 1903, America’s “Baby Doctor” Benjamin Spock was born in New Haven¹⁷, Connecticut.  His famous book on baby and child care sold over 30 million copies. 

Also on this date in 1946, Lesley Gore¹⁸ was born.  At the age of 16 she recorded the rock and roll hit.  VOA world news follows at the beginning of each hour. 

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

4 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

5 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。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 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。

8 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

9 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

10 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

11 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

12 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

18 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。