VOA慢速英语2015 联合国称2014年是儿童最不幸一年

 

AS IT IS 2015-01-01 UN: 2014 Worst Year Ever for Children 联合国称2014年是儿童最不幸一年

UNICEF -- the United Nations Children’s Fund -- says 2014 has been the worst year ever for children in areas affected¹ by conflict. UNICEF estimates 230 million children live in countries and areas where armed groups are fighting. It says 15 million children live in six of the most violent places -- the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, the Palestinian territories, Syria and Ukraine. 

UNICEF says 2014 was a year of fear and despair for millions of children. Sarah Crowe is UNICEF’s crisis communications chief. She says children have been forced to become soldiers, sold as sex slaves and have been targeted by armed groups. 

“If this was a report card for the world, we would have failed outright².  It has been an appalling³, devastating⁴ year for children and children have been put in harm’s way like never before. Never in recent history have we seen so many children directly impacted by conflict, by war, by violence -- 15 million directly and 230 million indirectly⁵, meaning in chronic⁶, low-conflict war zones. The numbers are truly numbing⁷.” 

UNICEF says children have been killed while studying in their classroom and while sleeping in their beds. They have been kidnapped and tortured, and their parents have been killed.

The agency says the beginning of civil wars in the Central African Republic and in South Sudan one year ago has placed millions of children in danger. It says fighting in these countries has forced hundreds of thousands of children to flee their homes. UNICEF says many children have been killed or severely⁸ injured and tens of thousands are suffering from severe malnutrition⁹ and disease.

UNICEF also reports wars in the Middle East are causing the deaths of many women and children. It says 538 children were killed in last summer’s 50-day-long conflict in Gaza and 54,000 are homeless.

It reports women and girls in Iraq are sexually attacked, sold as slaves and forced into prostitution. It says many of the more than 7.3 million children affected by conflict in Syria have been killed or badly injured. And it says children in both countries have increasingly become victims of extreme violence.

UNICEF says more than 100,000 children have been displaced since the Russian-supported rebellion in Ukraine began in April. And it says the number of children killed and wounded there is increasing.

Ms. Crowe tells VOA that the health of many children is also being threatened. She says the spread of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has caused the deaths of the parents of thousands of children. And about five million children are not in school.

“Never before have we seen a public health emergency that has affected children -- their health, their livelihoods¹¹, their parents’ livelihoods, their education, every aspect of their world -- meaning Ebola.” 

Although there are many problems, UNICEF says there is also hope for the millions of children affected by conflict. It notes that the United Nations and private agencies have been giving aid. Lives have been saved and children have been educated, and they have been given emotional support to help them deal with what they experienced.

Words from This Story

despair – n. the feeling of no longer having any hope

report card – n. an evaluation¹² of performance

outright – adv. in a full and complete way

chronic – adj. happening or existing frequently or most of the time

numbing – v. to make (someone) unable to think, feel, or react normally

malnutrition – n. the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food; poor nutrition

prostitution – n. the work of a prostitute; the act of having sex in exchange for money

livelihood¹⁰ – n. a way of earning money in order to live

aspect – n. a part of something

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

3 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

6 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

7 numbing   

adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Watching television had a numbing effect on his mind. 看电视使他头脑麻木。
• It was numbing work, requiring patience and dedication. 这是一种令人麻木的工作，需要有耐心和忘我精神。 来自辞典例句

8 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

9 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

10 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

11 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

12 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。