VOA常速英语2007年-Mia Farrow Makes Appeal on Behalf of Darfur

By Mandy Clark
London
11 December 2007
 

Film star and human rights activist¹ Mia Farrow has helped to launch a campaign in London called "Fund 4 Darfur" in an effort to support Darfuris still living in their troubled homeland and in exile abroad. Farrow says the world must not turn its back on genocide in Sudan. VOA's Mandy Clark reports from London.

In a packed theater in London, Mia Farrow tells the story of Darfur through pictures.

The U.N. Goodwill² ambassador has visited the region seven times in the past three years and she says she wants to get the public passionate³ about responding to the crisis.

"The mantra in my family is with knowledge comes responsibility, and there are levels of knowing, and once they reach a certain level they will respond," said Farrow. "I do believe that people are basically good, and I think we need to demand better of ourselves and more of our governance."

The anti-genocide charity, Aegis⁴ Trust, is behind the "Fund 4 Darfur" campaign, and Farrow is its public face. Money donated to the campaign is earmarked to help survivors⁵ in the Darfur region as well as those who have fled the violence and are living abroad.

The Trust says that more than half of the villages in Darfur have been destroyed, two-thirds of the population is reliant on some form of humanitarian⁶ aid and more than 2.5 million people have been displaced by the conflict.

Fighting among rebels, Sudanese government troops and government-backed militias⁷ broke out in 2003.

Refugee Issa Abraham Korkor fled from Darfur three years ago and says the region needs peace. "When I'm back in my country, Khartoum, it's dangerous," he said. "It's no safe. It's dangerous to my life. I lived in the (refugee) camp. My brother has died, my father has died."

Farrow's message from Darfur is one of grief and desperation, but also of hope. She says it is up to humanity as a whole to act when governments fail to respond.

"If a baby is drowning and we are walking by in the woods, do we let it drown? Most people, 97 percent say, 'No, we have an obligation.' What if the baby is through the woods a bit and you only hear the cries? Less people, but most, still say 'Yes, when you hear the cries.' What if a messenger comes and tells us a baby is drowning? Do we have a moral obligation? Fewer people say, 'Yes.' What if you are going to be late for work, maybe even lose your job? I am of the opinion that if you know the baby is drowning, your moral mandate⁸ is that you must go and save the child," she said.  

She says in the case of Darfur, it is time that the world hears those cries and does something to help.

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 aegis   

n.盾；保护，庇护

参考例句：

• Medical supplies are flied in under the aegis of the red cross.在红十字会的保护下，正在空运进医药用品。
• The space programme will continue under the aegis of the armed forces.这项太空计划将以武装部队作后盾继续进行。

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 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 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

8 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。