2007年VOA标准英语-Spanish TV Ads Fight African Clandestine Migrat

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
25 September 2007

Starting in Senegal, the Spanish government is running television announcements to discourage young Africans from risking their lives on dangerous sea crossings to Spain. Phuong Tran has more from Dakar.

One of the advertisements produced by the Spanish government starts with a close up of a crying mother.  Speaking in one of Senegal's national languages, Wolof, she says she has not seen her son for eight months. The scene then moves to a boy lying face down on the rocks, apparently¹ dead.

The 45-second ad ends with the popular Senegalese singer Yossou N'Dour sitting in a boat.

The singer tells viewers that everyone knows the story ends with thousands of destroyed families.  He asks the viewer not to risk his life for nothing.

Last year, more than 30,000 boat migrants reached Spain.  Spanish officials estimate about six thousand died at sea, but migrants like Ndongo Faye, who are sent back to Africa, say the number is much higher.

Faye lives with dozens of family members in a part of the capital called the city's second airport because of the large number of migrants who leave from its shores. 

The 26-year-old says he tried to go to Spain four times in fishing canoes, spending a total of about $3,000.  He says he finally made it, but Spanish authorities sent him home after a one-month detention². 

After watching an advertisement at a nearby cybercafé, Faye says it will not deter³ young people determined⁴ to leave.

"It is sad because what the mother says and it is true," he said.  "She says her son was supposed to be the one who took care of her.  But how can he help her with empty pockets?  He had to leave.  My own father said the same thing to me.  He said if I leave and die, who will support him?  I replied to him the good Lord will take better care of him than I could."

Laurent de Boeck, with the International Office of Migration⁵ for West Africa, says his organization has tried television campaigns against clandestine⁶ migration in Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali and Niger.

"You know that you cannot reach a certain number of persons," he noted⁷.  "You have people who will never listen, because they are persuaded that everything which comes from outside, basically from an organization like ours, or the government, from an NGO, is not true, that they know their success will be [in] migrating."

Former migrant Faye says the Spanish advertisements would work better if they had former migrants sharing personal horror stories at sea.

After losing many friends, Faye says he will stay in Senegal and look for work.  He says it would be more helpful if Spain invested the more than $1 million spent on the advertisements to create jobs for young Africans.

The Spanish government recently began employing hundreds of Senegalese workers on one-year work visas.  Spain has signed agreements with Gambia and Guinea Bissau to open job training centers, promising⁸ to eventually hire some of the centers' graduates.

1 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

2 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

3 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

6 clandestine   

adj.秘密的，暗中从事的

参考例句：

• She is the director of clandestine operations of the CIA.她是中央情报局秘密行动的负责人。
• The early Christians held clandestine meetings in caves.早期的基督徒在洞穴中秘密聚会。

7 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。

8 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。