VOA常速英语2007年-West Africans Share Harrowing Stories of Failed

By Jade¹ Heilmann
Dakar
11 December 2007

Police say about 40 West Africans are feared dead after a failed boat crossing by would-be illegal migrants to Europe. Some of the survivors² say they will try again, despite barely escaping death and throwing dead bodies into the ocean during the voyage, which ended in a shipwreck³ and back in Senegal. Jade Heilmann visited a hospital in Dakar.

Would-be migrant and Gambian national, Seedy Badjie lies on a mattress⁴ on the tile floor in a dusty hospital room.

He shares the room with seven other men, four from the Gambia, two from Nigeria and one from Senegal.

Like thousands of other Africans, Badjie and the others opted⁵ for illegal boat passage to Europe as a way of escaping poverty in their home countries.

Badjie is recovering from the failed journey, but complains that his body aches because he was not able to lie down or stretch his legs during the 12-day ordeal⁶.

"My body is [hurting] me everywhere, because on the boat we had no place to sleep, only sit. We did not have any place to stretch our legs," said Badjie.

The nurse brings him a sandwich wrapped in newspaper which he gladly takes. He says he went seven days without food or water. Rations⁷ on the boat ran out after five days.

Badjie says he went on the trip dreaming of a better life in Europe. He says many of his friends sit around doing nothing, smoking marijuana.

"I wanted to find a job there, because in the Gambia, I went to school for 12 years, then after schooling⁸, the government does not have enough employment opportunities. This is something that I can not believe my life [is] still like this, still no work, nothing. If I want money, I go and beg or steal," he said.

In the next room, Gambian Kalidou Dia, 17, is also recovering.

Speaking in Wolof, he says he did not have the money required for the trip and so he decided⁹ to swim out and follow the boat until he was let on.

On top of thirst, hunger and exhaustion¹⁰, the survivors struggled with the deaths of those around them. They say people on the boat were dying and the others had to throw bodies into the water every morning.

Dia says some passed away from exhaustion, while others committed suicide.

Despite the experience, Badjie and Dia still dream of Europe.

But Badjie says he does not want to go by boat again. He says he would like to get a visa and go legally, but visas are hard to come by.

"When I see all the people die there, I did not expect that I could come back here. I cannot go and die, but still I want to go to Europe to struggle if I can have a visa," said Badjie.

For his part, Dia says he is not scared, despite having thrown cadavers¹¹ over board. The teenager says he will try again, by boat or whatever means possible.

1 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

2 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

3 shipwreck   

n.船舶失事，海难

参考例句：

• He walked away from the shipwreck.他船难中平安地脱险了。
• The shipwreck was a harrowing experience.那次船难是一个惨痛的经历。

4 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

5 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

6 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

7 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

8 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

11 cadavers   

n.尸体( cadaver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Human cadavers were the only known source of hGH, and demand was intense. 人类尸体是hGH已知的惟一来源，而且需求广泛。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 口蹄疫疯牛病
• Will there be enough cadavers for each group this term? 这个学期每一个组都有足够的尸体吗？ 来自电影对白

12 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

13 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。