2006年VOA标准英语-Entrepreneurs Make Money From African Migrants'

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
29 November 2006

Entrepreneurs are making money from Africans dreaming of migration¹. These include businessmen who have set up tents to facilitate the application process for the yearly United States "green card" lottery². VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Dakar in this third report in a five-part series on migration-related issues.

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Access to technology helps applicants⁴ file their forms for US green card lottery 
A generator⁵ next to a roadside tent churns throughout the day in a busy part of Dakar, amid this year's recurrent power outages.

The generator powers up laptops, printers and the Internet for passersby⁶ waiting in line to apply for the U.S. green card lottery.

Togolese national Magloire Assih explains how his business is run.

"When someone comes, we make them fill a form and we take a digital photography that we put in a specific format," he said. "We have software here that does all that very fast. If everything is correct, automatically, we have confirmation⁷ the application is received."

 
Business is brisk at 'green card' tents  
Business is brisk. The tent is open seven days a week, teeming⁸ with dozens of people waiting in line, morning to night.

The cost to get this help to apply is about $6, equivalent to a week's wage for many Senegalese. But Assih says his service is very valuable.

"We say that this can be hope for them," said Assih.  "At least they know there is something legal and easy that they can do to immigrate⁹. That is why we want to bring this to them."

Momodou Camara already has family in the United States. He has already applied¹⁰ and now he is helping¹¹ his wife do the same.

"My wife came to play the lottery," he said. "I am an engineer, a civil engineer. It is not my objective to go and stay definitely in the United States. But, if I get approved, I will be there to see if possible I can stay there."

Another applicant³, Fatou Ndiaye, says she is trying the lottery for her children.

She says, if ever her children could go to university in the United States, their diplomas would be so much better than elsewhere and they could choose where they want to live.

Other women tell stories of their brothers and cousins getting a green card and immediately enlisting¹² into the U.S Army. Some were sent to Iraq. They say it is dangerous, initially¹³, but that, if they survive the war, then they can get an assisted education afterward¹⁴ and a better life.

Adama Kaneh, a grandmother in her 50's, also hopes to go to the United States, even though she says, if she does, she knows there will be culture shock and hard work ahead.

Some applicants say they have applied many times before. They say, even if they win the lottery, it is no guarantee they will go because of the stringent¹⁵ screening process that blocks many lottery winners at the U.S embassy in Dakar.

But, they say they will try and try again, even if it costs time and money and creates many disappointments.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

3 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

4 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

5 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

6 passersby   

n. 过路人(行人,经过者)

参考例句：

• He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛，因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印，看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。

7 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

8 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

9 immigrate   

v.（从外国）移来，移居入境

参考例句：

• 10,000 people are expected to immigrate in the next two years.接下来的两年里预计有10，000人会移民至此。
• Only few plants can immigrate to the island.只有很少的植物能够移植到这座岛上。

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

11 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。

12 enlisting   

v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的现在分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• He thought about enlisting-about the Spanish legion-about a profession. 他想去打仗，想参加西班牙军团，想找个职业。 来自辞典例句
• They are not enlisting men over thirty-five. 他们不召超过35岁的人入伍。 来自辞典例句

13 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

14 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

15 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。