2006年VOA标准英语-Congo's Rape Victims, Scarred For Life, Get Lit

By Nico Colombant
Bukavu, Congo
29 September 2006
 
watch Congo Rape¹ Victims

Even though the war is officially over in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rapes² are still rampant³ in unstable⁴ parts of the mostly lawless country.  The perpetrators are usually members of the many remaining armed militias⁶ and rogue⁷ army units.  VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Bukavu, in eastern Congo.

 
Bukavu hospital center
In Bukavu's only hospital center, rape victims are the most common patients.

It seems peaceful, but in the deep forests and muddy areas beyond the hospital, atrocities⁸ against women occur on a daily basis. Many women arrive here to tell their horror stories when they give birth. But many others never survive and their stories remain untold⁹. 

A small staff with limited resources tries to help as best it can.

 
Dr. Lebon
Dr. Lebon is the only surgeon and gynecologist in Bukavu. "There are cases that defy explanation.  The women often have terrible infections or diseases. In addition to the rape, here such attacks are often made worse when the rapists force sand, grass or leaves into the woman's genital area.  Some women do not survive. Some are shot after being raped¹⁰. They are shot directly into their vagina.  When the victim is gang raped, there is horrible tearing inside her."

 
Congo rape victim Nabunani Nsimire and baby
The most recent victim who arrived at the hospital is Nabunani Nsimire.  She has just given birth to a premature¹¹ baby who weighs one-kilo 300 grams. Nsimire is 20 and has been disabled since birth. She comes from a village 75 kilometers from Bukavu.

In front of the camera, she tells doctors one more time about the night militias terrorized her village.

"It was raining.  My father was tied up. My mother and sister ran away. The militia⁵ found me hiding under my bed. They tied my hands behind my back and blindfolded¹² me.  I was raped until morning. During this time, I could also hear the looting going on. I could hear people everywhere screaming."

Rape victims help each other out. Often, they only trust other victims.  Once they arrive here, even after months of treatment, they rarely want to leave.

 
Joseph Kabanga
Joseph Kabanga is a psychologist at the hospital.  "They have bitterness. They have hate. They often express feelings of vengeance¹³. They are not ready to forgive.  Why?" he asks. "Because, a raped woman, in our culture, loses most of her value to society.  These rapes were committed in horrible conditions.  These are not just rapes.  The rapists commit them in front of other family members, in front of children, in front of other members of the community."

In the past three years, more than 12,000 rape victims have been helped here.

The ones who refuse to leave say they need more help from the new government, so that their communities can learn to understand their suffering and accept them and their babies, however savagely¹⁴ they came to be.

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 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

4 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

5 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。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

8 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

10 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

11 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

12 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

14 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。