Lebanon a ‘Beautiful Idea' in Need of a Remake, Say Protestors

 

The city of Beirut in Lebanon appears to be a picture of elegance¹ and success. It has French stores selling costly² goods, pricey hotels and its streets are filled with imported cars. But it is also a nation struggling with inequality, collapsing³ public services and high unemployment.

Three weeks of anti-government protests have left the country shaken and have resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

"Lebanon is a beautiful idea," said Yara Salem. She is a 25-year-old student who spends her days at the protest camp in Martyrs⁴' Square. The camp is only a few meters from the doors of Le Grey, one of Beirut's most costly hotels.

Anti-government protesters march during a protest against the central bank and the Lebanese government, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019.

Anti-government protesters march during a protest against the central bank and the Lebanese government, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019.

"You think you're in Paris, but you go over there, and people are dying on the streets," she said. She was talking about the levels of poverty that exist in the city.

Salem called the protests a revolution because they have brought hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people into the streets. But, she said, the protests will be a failure unless the ruling elite⁵ are removed from power completely.

The country's 15-year-old civil war ended in 1990, but the names of those who run the country have not really changed, she said. The protestors do not believe they can build a stronger economy or a better future.

"It's been the same people for 30 years," she said. She added that her parents' generation had lost its belief in politics, but the young still believe change is possible.

"The main point of this revolution is to do something for the poor - jobs, services, education," she said.

There are many reasons to wonder how Lebanon has been able to hold itself together for so long.

With 18 officially recognized sectarian groups, it has been difficult to reach political agreement. Changing loyalties⁶ make decisions nearly impossible. Corruption⁷ touches business and politics, which are controlled by large families.

The World Inequality Database, a research group, considers Lebanon one of the most unequal countries in the world. The richest one percent of its people account for almost 25 percent of the national income while the poorest account for 10 percent.

Beirut stores are filled with goods that can only be bought by the wealthy. Yet the economy is not growing, debt is at 150 percent of gross domestic product and unemployment among people who are under age 35 is nearing 40 percent.

"There's no work, there are no services, the schools are not good," said Jamal Raydan. He is a Druze protester from the same town as Walid Jumblatt, Lebanon's leading Druze politician.

Raydan studied to be an accountant, but has not worked in four years. He asked Jumblatt for help, but did not receive any. He has decided⁸ that Lebanon's political system is a failure.

"It makes me angry," he said.

"Lebanon should be like a mother to all its people," he said. "Instead they have turned her into a bad woman."

Words in This Story

elegance – adj. graceful⁹ and attractive

elite – n. the people who have the most wealth and status in a society

sectarian – adj. relating to religious or political sects¹⁰ and the differences between them

database – n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer

gross domestic product –n. a measure of the size of a country's economy that gives the value of all goods and services produced in one year

1 elegance   

n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙

参考例句：

• The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
• John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

4 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

6 loyalties   

n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情

参考例句：

• an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
• Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

10 sects   

n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had subdued the religious sects, cleaned up Saigon. 他压服了宗教派别，刷新了西贡的面貌。 来自辞典例句