VOA慢速英语2018 联合国儿童基金会：冲突、灾难致5900万青年成文盲

 

Almost 60 million young people who live in countries affected¹ by conflict or natural disaster are illiterate², the United Nations Children’s Fund or UNICEF, said this week.

有近6000万生活在受冲突和自然灾害影响国家的青年成为了文盲，联合国儿童基金会本周表示。 

More investment in education is needed, UNICEF said, to fight the crisis.

应对这场危机需要更多的教育投资，联合国儿童基金会表示。 

Nearly 30 percent of people between the ages of 15 and 19 living in "emergency countries" cannot read or write. UNICEF has found that illiteracy³ is a bigger problem among girls and young women.Thirty-three percent of girls have not learned even the basics of reading. The same is true of 24 percent of boys living in “emergency countries.”

“紧急状态国家”中15到19岁青年中有近30%的人不会阅读和书写。联合国儿童基金会发现女孩和年轻女士中文盲问题更严重。33%的女孩没有学过基本的阅读。24%生活在“紧急状态国家”的男孩也是如此。

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore⁴ said the numbers are a clear reminder⁵ of the tragic⁶ effects that crises can have on a child’s education and their future.

联合国儿童基金会会长亨利埃塔·福尔说，这个数字清晰地提醒我们危机会给儿童的教育和未来造成悲剧性的影响。

UNICEF is calling for more financial support for education programs, especially during humanitarian⁸ crises. It said only 3.6 percent of humanitarian money is used for the education of young people living in emergency situations.That makes education one of the least supported areas of humanitarian aid.

联合国儿童基金会呼吁对教育项目加大经济支持，尤其是在人道主义危机期间。基金会表示，只有3.6%的人道主义经济援助资金用于救助紧急状态国家青年人的教育。这使得教育成为得到最少人道主义援助支持的领域之一。

The agency’s yearly Humanitarian Action for Children appeal began on Tuesday. It called for $900 million for countries damaged by man-made and natural disasters. The money would be used on programs such as accelerated learning, teacher training, school rebuilding and on school supplies.

该机构一年一度的儿童人道主义救助呼吁会已在周二举行。会议为受人为和自然灾害破坏的国家筹集了9亿美元的善款。这笔钱将会用于速成学习、教师培训、学校重建和学习用品等救援项目中。

UNICEF also proposed that governments provide young children with early-learning opportunities and illiterate young people with specially⁷ designed education programs.

联合国儿童基金会提议政府为儿童提供早期学习的机会，为文盲青年提供特殊教育项目。 

The findings are based on the U.N. Educational, Science and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, literacy data on 27 emergency countries.

这些发现是根据联合国教科文组织发表的关于27个紧急状态国家文盲率的报告得出。 

The countries with the highest illiteracy rates among people between the ages of 15 and 24 are Niger (76-percent), Chad (69-percent), South Sudan (68-percent), and the Central African Republic (64-percent).

15到24岁人群中文盲率最高的国家包括尼日尔（76%）、乍得（69%）南苏丹（68%）和中非共和国（64%）。

UNICEF released the new data just before the start of the two-day Global Partnership⁹ for Education Replenishment¹⁰ Conference in Dakar, Senegal.The conference is designed to raise money to give all children and youth the opportunity to learn.

联合国儿童基金会的这些数据恰是在塞内加尔达喀尔举办的为期两天的全球教育充资伙伴关系会开始之前发布。该会议旨在筹集善款为孩子和青年提供学习的机会。

Words in This Story

accelerate - v. to move faster?

advocacy - n. the act or process of supporting a cause or proposa?l

humanitarian - n. a person who works to make other people's lives better?

illiterate - adj. not knowing how to read or write?

stability - n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change

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 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

3 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

4 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

5 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

8 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。

9 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

10 replenishment   

n.补充(货物)

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• Natural replenishment of this vast supply of underground water occurs very slowly. 靠自然补充大量地下水是十分缓慢的。