VOA慢速英语2013 联合国需要数十亿美元来帮助数百万人

 

AS IT IS 2013-07-29 UN Needs Billions to Help Millions联合国需要数十亿美元来帮助数百万人

Hello, and welcome to “As It Is,” our daily show for people learning American English!

I’m Christopher Cruise in Washington.

Today on the program, we hear about how dangerous the world can be for news reporters…

“They may call me ‘a dead man walking,’ but I report the news.”

And we mark the birthday of an American government agency that sent men to the moon.

“For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond.”

But first, we report on an eye-opening appeal for humanitarian¹ aid.

UN Asks for Billions to Help Millions 

The United Nations says it needs a record $13 billion to help tens of millions of people around the world through the end of the year. A recent investigation² found that the UN’s humanitarian needs are increasing and more money is required. 

Kelly Jean Kelly reports…

In December, the United Nations launched an appeal to help 57 million people in 24 countries. In the months since then, the number of people needing help has increased to 73 million.

The United Nations blames the increase on the crisis in Syria and worsening conditions in countries such as the Central African Republic and Mali. To date, the United Nations has received more than five billion dollars as a result of its request.

Valerie Amos is the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator³. She says five billion dollars would be a huge amount of money in a normal year. But, she says, this is what she calls an extraordinary year requiring extraordinary measures.

“And people in the Central African Republic, Niger, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, and Chad -- among many others -- need help to feed their families, to treat malnourished children and to get safe drinking water and other essential supplies.”

Valerie Amos says the United Nations needs to collect an additional $8.6 billion by the end of the year because of the increasing needs. The UN official says she does not know how this will be done. But she says if the money is not raised, many people will be in danger.

“We’re always focused on the people who are most vulnerable, who are most in need, and it means that some of those people don’t get the safe water they need. They don’t get the shelter that they need.  They don’t get the food that they need. They don’t get the health care that they need.”

Syria remains⁴ the biggest emergency. The United Nations estimates that nearly seven million people inside the country and about 1.8 million Syrian refugees need help.

But Ms. Amos says officials must not let the situation in Syria keep them from helping⁵ the millions of people in other areas -- such as those in the Central African Republic and Mali. She says many people there are also in need of help.  

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Simply Reporting the News Can Get You Killed…

Journalists and United Nations diplomats⁶ met with the UN Security Council earlier this month to demand increased protection for reporters.

Larry Freund was there and has this report…

Jan Eliasson is deputy secretary-general of the UN. He said more than 600 journalists have been killed over the past ten years. He said they were killed simply for performing what he called their “critical role in society.”

“Every time a journalist is killed by extremists, drug cartels or even government forces there is one less voice to speak on behalf of the victims of conflict, crime and human rights abuses. Every journalist murdered or intimidated⁷ into silence is one less observer of efforts to uphold rights and ensure human dignity.”

Mustafa Haji Abdinur was one of several journalists who spoke⁸ to the Security Council. He reports from Somalia for the French news agency AFP. He said he is known in the country as a “dead man walking.” He said he will never be discouraged, but noted⁹ that even speaking to the Security Council was risky¹⁰.

“In showing my face to you and the world, I increase the threat of becoming attacked when I go back home. But I am a journalist. They may call me ‘a dead man walking,’ but I report the news.”

The United States ambassador to the UN, Rosemary DiCarlo, said journalists are the Council's eyes and ears in every corner of the world.

“Recognizing the value of the work of journalists reporting on conflict, this Council has an obligation to help protect those who provide us with so much vital information. We thank journalists around the world who risk their lives to seek the truth and shine light on the darkness for the entire world to see. The Security Council could not do its job without you.”

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad is an Iraqi who reports from his country for The Guardian¹¹ newspaper. He told the Security Council that for at least the past ten years there has been a systematic¹² hunting down of journalists. He said there is a belief that the killer¹³ of a reporter will not be caught -- or if he is caught, he will not be punished.

“If you, ladies and gentlemen, can make an effort to recognize journalists as part of a humanitarian effort to tell a story. Many of you hate us, by the way, I know that. It’s a sign that we are doing our job properly. But there has to be some sort of balance. Just let us be there, treat us as human beings. Just don’t kill us.”

Deputy Secretary-General Eliasson said more than 90 percent of those who kill journalists are never punished.

I’m Larry Freund.

Let’s Go To the Moon…Before the Russians Do!

Fifty-five years ago, on July 29th, 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a law that created the American space agency. Eight months earlier, the Soviet¹⁴ Union had launched Sputnik One, the first man-made Earth satellite. Many American officials feared the country would lose the space race to the Russians, and they refused to let that happen.

The new space agency was called the National Aeronautics¹⁵ and Space Administration. It soon became known simply as NASA.

NASA soon began planning for a project to send an American to the Moon, and return him safely to Earth. 

That goal would be stated by President John F. Kennedy.

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”Although President Kennedy did not live to see it, two American astronauts did land on the Moon and returned safely to Earth in 1969. 

“For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the Moon and to the planets beyond.”

I’m Christopher Cruise, and that’s “As It Is” on The Voice of America.

1 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。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 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。

6 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

11 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

12 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

13 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

14 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

15 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。