2006年VOA标准英语-Kenyans Protest Rape, Sexual Violence in Darfur

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
07 December 2006

Hundreds of Kenyans marched in the streets of Nairobi, calling for the end of rapes² and other abuses being committed against girls and women in Darfur.  The march is one of several events planned worldwide through Sunday to call for an end to violence in the war-torn region of western Sudan.  Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Kenyan women hold posters during a protest march in Nairobi, Kenya

Kenyan women, and a small number of men and Sudanese women donned red T-shirts with the inscription³ "Stop Rape¹ in Darfur."  They also carried banners denouncing rape in the volatile⁴ region, calling it a war crime.

The program manager of the African Women's Development and Communication Network, Therese Niyondiko, explains to VOA the purpose of the march, which ended at the Ministry⁵ of Foreign Affairs.

"We are asking the African governments or international community, especially Kenya, to do whatever under their power to influence the government of Sudan to protect civilians⁶ in Darfur, and especially Darfurian women who are suffering from sexual violence and rape," she said.

Groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have extensively documented the problem of rape allegedly perpetrated mostly by Sudanese security forces and a militia⁷ called janjaweed, which is said to be supported by the Sudanese government.

The groups note with alarm that rapes and other sexual violence committed against tens of thousands of Darfurian women since the conflict flared⁸ up in 2003 is part of a plan of ethnic⁹ cleansing¹⁰ of the region by the government.

In one camp near the South Darfur town of Nyala, the International Rescue Committee recorded more than 200 sexual assaults among residents during five weeks in July and August of this year.

Doctors Without Borders estimates 82 percent of rapes occur when women and girls leave their camps to search for firewood.

Little is being done to help the traumatized girls and women.  A Human Rights Watch report released last year notes that at the beginning of last year, only one in six agencies providing health care services in refugee camps in neighboring Chad made available comprehensive treatment of sexually-transmitted diseases, emergency contraception, and post-exposure HIV/AIDS drugs.

Human Rights Watch reports that Sudanese authorities often harass¹¹ and detain girls and women made pregnant through rape, with some even being charged with fornication if they are unable to pay a fine.

Some of the women who attended the march are rape survivors¹² themselves, and say they came to support Darfurian women who are in a similar situation.

Mercy, not her real name, was raped¹³ in 2001 when she was 14-years-old.  She says the counseling and other treatment she received was vital to her recovery, and says she is upset that women in Darfur who have experienced what she has do not have anywhere to go to get help.

She recalls what happened after her rape, a situation many women in Darfur go through.

"It was so bad.  It was hell, and I was thinking of committing suicide," she said.  "Nobody wanted to talk to us.  Even the security people were against me.  At one point, I was beaten, I [was] almost stabbed to death."

The conflict in Darfur erupted three years ago when rebel groups in the area rose up against the government, saying that the area was being economically and politically marginalized.

Experts estimate that between 300,000 and 400,000 people have been killed and another 2.5 million driven from their homes by the conflict, which the United States has called a genocide.

1 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

2 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

3 inscription   

n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文

参考例句：

• The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。
• He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。

4 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

8 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

10 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。

11 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

12 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

13 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句