2006年VOA标准英语-Mental, Emotional Health Providers Assist

By Chad Bouchard
Yogyakarta
06 June 2006
 
The first wave of relief to earthquake areas in Central Java has focused on food and medicine. Now a second wave of volunteers is tending to a need they say is just as important - mental and emotional health. Chad Bouchard reports from the Indonesian city of Yogjakarta, in the region hardest hit by the May 27 quake.

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Under the shade of a gray tarp in a sprawling¹ landscape of earthquake debris², dozens of children waddle³ and flap their arms. They sing a traditional song about ducks and geese. The children are survivors⁵ of the earthquake that shook their school, their homes, and the town of Birin into rubble⁶ more than a week ago. Thirty-seven of Birin's 400 residents died in the quake.

The play group is part of a Red Cross program to address psychological wounds, which aid workers say are often ignored. Many of the children lost relatives or friends in the quake, and carry physical wounds of their own. Living outdoors in makeshift camps, the children are not sleeping at night, and cling to their parents during the day. Some have stopped speaking altogether.

An 11-year-old boy at the edge of the temporary classroom smiles to himself during a ball-tossing game. His broken leg is wrapped in a splint and bandage - it was crushed by a falling cabinet.

His mother, Suarni, says it makes her happy to see him laughing among the other children.

She says when the children have something to do, everyone is happy, because the adults can be free for a few hours to tend to camp, prepare meals, and clean up the remains⁷ of their village. She says he looks like he does not feel the pain in his leg anymore.

Later that morning, the children draw with crayons and paper. Many draw scenes of a volcano spitting rivers of lava⁸. They are afraid the rumbling⁹ Mount Merapi volcano, about 19 kilometers from here, will cause another earthquake.

Red Cross volunteer Amin Khoja says drawing helps the children express their fears. Later it will become a teaching tool.

"Slowly by slowly, we'll turn it to some information about the disaster, how an earthquake happens and what they can do - how they can save themselves," said Khoja.

Wahyono, an earthquake survivor⁴, sits on a bed in what is left from his house in Bantul, Indonesia, Sunday, June 4, 2006  
  
Thousands of homeless adults are suffering from emotional trauma¹⁰, too.

Intermittent¹¹ aftershocks have been a constant reminder¹² of those fears. People run into the streets at the slightest tremor¹³, and most still do not sleep indoors for fear of a second quake.

Severely¹⁴ traumatized survivors have been taken to the psychiatric ward¹⁵ at Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta.

Semi's doctor, Indrianti, asks her how she is feeling. Semi says she wants to go home, because she does not know how her family is. Semi has not been sleeping, and reports that she is constantly angry. Tears trickle¹⁶ down her face as she talks.

Pandu Setiawan is the country's director of mental health. He says dozens of psychiatrists¹⁷ and psychologists have been dispatched to hospitals to look for signs of serious stress.

A group of international and Indonesian aid agencies is still assessing the need for care, but Setiawan says based on experience from the 2004 tsunami¹⁸, survivors will likely need services for up to five years after the disaster. He says the organizations are working together to prevent a repeat of the problems seen in Aceh, which was hit hardest by the deadly tsunami. He says there, agencies often failed to share information.

"And they do their own program, without coordination¹⁹ and without collaboration²⁰, and we didn't know what they do, and where they do, and how long they will do," said Setiawan. "Most of the NGOs [non-governmental organizations] left Aceh without any report what they have done."

Psychology²¹ professor Makmuri Muchlas says survivors in Aceh and Yogyakarta will recover from disaster in different ways. He says after decades of separatist fighting before the tsunami, uncontrolled anger was a common response to stress in Aceh.

In Yogyakarta, Muchlas says, the culture is defined by its obedience²² to the local sultan. He says that results in a more patient, but internalized response to stress. The stress causes physical symptoms such as headaches, fevers, and diarrhea.

"It's being suffered by these people inside," he said. "That's why for helping²³ these people, we also help the physical symptoms first, and after that, we try to be a facilitator for empowering their mental health."

Muchlas says therapists will integrate local traditions to encourage healing. In Aceh, trauma teams relied on the traditional Muslim mourning rituals common to the area. Muchlas says in Yogyakarta, therapists will take advantage of an ancient local custom, called rondayah, where villagers stay up all night by a fire and tell stories. He says a trained counselor²⁴ can lead a rondayah to help survivors digest their anxiety, guilt²⁵, and grief.

The World Health Organization says up to half of the affected²⁶ population in Banda Aceh experienced significant psychological distress²⁷, with five to 10 percent developing long-term disorders²⁸. The Red Cross alone has treated 60,000 survivors for mental and emotional trauma in Aceh.

Two men who lost their homes in Bantul committed suicide Friday. The District Health Office says there are unconfirmed reports of many more suicide attempts.

Back in Birin, Wongsoaje picks through the rubble of his home, looking for jewelry²⁹ and other valuables. He says he is not sleeping at night, because there is so much work to do.

The Indonesian government says it will take at least a year to rebuild the area. It may take much longer for survivors to put the earthquake behind them

1 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

2 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

3 waddle   

vi.摇摆地走；n.摇摆的走路(样子)

参考例句：

• I am pregnant.I waddle awkwardly and my big stomach pressed against the weight of the world. 我怀孕了，我滑稽可笑地瞒珊而行，大肚子上压着全世界的重量。
• We waddle and hop and have lots of fun.我们走起路来摇摇摆摆，还一跳一跳的。我们的生活很有趣。

4 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

5 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

6 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

9 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

10 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

11 intermittent   

adj.间歇的，断断续续的

参考例句：

• Did you hear the intermittent sound outside?你听见外面时断时续的声音了吗？
• In the daytime intermittent rains freshened all the earth.白天里，时断时续地下着雨，使整个大地都生气勃勃了。

12 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。

13 tremor   

n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震

参考例句：

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
• A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。

14 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

15 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

16 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

17 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

18 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

19 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

20 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

21 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

22 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

23 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。

24 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

25 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

26 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。

27 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

28 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。