2006年VOA标准英语-Domestic Accidents; Self-Immolation Kill More K

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil, Iraq
29 July 2006

In the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, which has seen little of the sectarian violence plaguing much of the rest of the country, doctors say they treat more people burned in household incidents than injured by explosives.  Many of the patients at one specialized¹ hospital are women who doctors say have set themselves on fire in suicide attempts. A higher number are children, who are injured in domestic accidents. 

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The adult burn unit in Irbil, Iraq   
  
A terrible phenomenon is manifesting itself in Kurdish society here. Women who have problems with their husbands, parents or in-laws are attempting suicide by setting themselves on fire. In the largely patriarchal society, women have few rights, are often illiterate², and often have no one to turn to for help.

At the Emergency Management Center in Irbil, head surgeon Dr. Husen Ibrahim Taha says the mortality rate among these types of burn victims is extremely high.

"Most of them die, unfortunately, because most of the burns are big burns, more than 70, 80, 90 percent [of their body]," he said.  "Most of them are above 90 percent, because they use kerosene³ or gasoline to burn themselves."

Kazim is the head nurse for the adult burn unit. He says self-immolation is a serious problem in Kurdish culture.

"Sometimes in one month we have 10, eight cases, sometimes 11, sometimes 13," he noted⁴.  "But all the time we have [cases]. If we did not receive the suicide cases, I think, in one month, we will receive only 10 patients."

Kazim says the women who do survive go on to face even more problems, because they are disfigured or disabled. The hospital lacks a psychiatrist⁵ or a social worker, so little counseling is available to patients.

Greater awareness⁶ about self-immolation is needed in Kurdish society, and Kazim says he has participated in several television and radio programs that have taken on the subject, but he feels they have not made an impact.

Another problem is the high burn rate among women and children in domestic accidents.  Dr. Taha highlights the severity of this problem.

"In our locality here, in Kurdistan, burn victims are for sure much bigger [numbers] than war victims in Kurdistan at the moment," he said.

But household burn accidents are not limited to the Kurdish region, and the hospital in Irbil receives some of the worst cases from all over Iraq. All patients are treated free of charge.

 
Hannah's mother helps care for her 
  
Hannah, 30, is the mother of four, and is expecting again. Three weeks ago, at her home near the city of Mosul, she sustained third degree burns over 45 percent of her body. 

Many Iraqis cook on small stoves that are fed by gas from a metal bottle. Hannah says her gas bottle was empty, so she was cooking on an open fire. A flame from the fire ignited the bottle.

Hannah was brought to the hospital in Irbil, where she says she has received excellent care. She says the doctors and nurses are like family to her now.

Cheman Abdul Karim, 19,  was brought to the hospital four days ago, after a similar accident. 

"While I was cooking I added some kerosene to the fire and it exploded," she explained.  "They took me to the hospital in Kirkuk, but they were very busy, because there was a car bomb attack that day, and so they sent me to Irbil."

Cheman sustained burns over 30 percent of her body, including her face, head and chest.

Large numbers of children are also victims of these types of household accidents.  Dr. Taha says such accidents could be prevented.

"It is due to ignorance of the parents, and also due to our house modifications⁷. Our kitchens are very small, and they cook on the ground, and this is the main cause of burns in children," he explained.

The hospital has just four surgeons and about 200 nurses to treat the burn patients, as well as patients with war injuries, such as victims of car bombings, landmines⁸ and gunshots who are brought from other parts of Iraq. With limited technology and a great deal of dedication⁹, they are making a difference in many peoples lives.

1 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

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 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

6 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

7 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

9 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。