VOA常速英语2007年-US TV Star Oprah Winfrey Distressed by Abuse Sc

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
05 November 2007

U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey says she was devastated¹ upon learning that a staff member at her girls' school in South Africa had been accused of abusing several pupils. Winfrey made the remark hours after the staff member appeared in court on charges of indecent assault. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.

Talk show star Oprah Winfrey told reporters in Johannesburg via satellite about her distress² upon learning that pupils at her school for disadvantaged girls had accused a female dorm parent of sexual abuse.

"This is one of the most devastating³, if not the most devastating experience of my life," she said. "But like all such experiences, there is always much to be gained and I think there is a lot to be learned."

Winfrey said she hired private U.S. and South African investigators⁴ last month to probe the complaints. The results were reported to South African authorities. They led to the arrest Thursday of a 27-year-old dorm parent, Virginia Makopo, on 13 charges of indecent assault and criminal injury against six girls.

The accused woman has been released on bail⁵ after telling a court she was not guilty. She is to return to court in six weeks. Formal charges are expected after the official investigation⁶ is completed.

Winfrey said the school's headmistress was also being dismissed for ignoring the girls' complaints. She praised the 15 students who spoke⁷ out about the abuse.

"They represent, those 15 girls, the new generation in South Africa who fearlessly take back their voices to speak about their concern for their fellow classmates. This is what we are trying to teach," Winfrey said. "This is what leadership is all about."

Winfrey, who herself suffered abuse as a child, said the incident provided an opportunity to clean house. She pledged the school would create a safe and open environment for its students that would be a model for the world.

 

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 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。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。