VOA慢速英语2015 印度和巴基斯坦移民互相学习

AS IT IS 2015-06-24 Indian, Pakistani Immigrants² Learn About One Another 印度和巴基斯坦移民互相学习

Violence has damaged relations between India and Pakistan ever since the two countries gained their independence from Britain almost 70 years ago. This history of conflict follows many Indians and Pakistanis when they come to the United States. But some of them are finding³ that many of their beliefs about the other side are misguided.

This spring, the University of California in Los Angeles offered a class that sought to help Indians and Pakistanis better understand each other. The class was taught in both Hindi and Urdu -- the languages of India and Pakistan. The goal of the class was to promote understanding between the two countries. Most of the students in the class were Indian- or Pakistani-Americans.

Gyanam Mahajan teaches language and culture classes at the university. She said she expected a separation between the two sides.

“It comes with the immigrant¹ families that come out of India or Pakistan, and they come here with the resentment⁴ and mistrust with the other community, and when they come here they come with this baggage. They come with this feeling that Hindi and Urdu are different languages.”

Hindi is one of the official languages of India. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. The two languages use different writing systems. But they are so similar when spoken that people who understand one can understand the other. This surprised many students, including Indian-Americans Trisha Patel and Rohan Luhar.

“It’s surprising to know that like you pronounce everything the same way.”

“I didn’t really know what Urdu was before taking this class.”

Professor Mahajan says the class may help improve relations between the countries.

“As I say in my class, the future of South Asia is actually here in this country.”

Trisha Patel and many of her classmates say the class showed them how much the two sides have in common.

“The professor does a great job of, like, helping⁵ us understand the bridge between the cultures and showing us that there’s not many differences, regardless of what it may seem like.”

University officials hope the class will help the students become “ambassadors of peace.”

Words in This Story

resentment – n. a feeling of anger or displeasure about someone or something unfair

baggage – n. the feelings, beliefs, problems or past events that can make life difficult for a person or group

pronounce – v. to say or speak (a word) correctly

1 immigrant   

adj.(从国外)移来的，移民的；n.移民，侨民

参考例句：

• Life in the USA was very hard for almost every new immigrant.美国的生活几乎对每一个新移民都很艰难。
• I'd like to obtain some information about applying for an immigrant visa.我想取一些申请移民签证的资料。

2 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

4 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

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。