VOA标准英语2009年-Teachers End Strike, Union Leaders Threate

By Scott Bobb
Harare
12 October 2009

Teachers across Zimbabwe struck for three weeks last month over demands for higher pay. The country's unity¹ government is coming under increasing pressure as it struggles to raise funds for education and other basic services in the face of depleted² revenues caused by the country's economic problems.

 
School children from Ruvimbo school read outside the school premises³ in Harare (File Photo - 05 Feb 2009)
The teachers strike closed schools and caused parents to worry that their children might lose a second school year to the country's economic crisis.

Like most civil servants in Zimbabwe, teachers have been earning about $100 a month. The power-sharing government offered this salary to all civil servants after its inauguration⁴ in March.

The new government took over following years of hyper-inflation that had eroded⁵ salaries, devastated⁶ economic production and caused widespread unemployment and food shortages.

It said the salary was a temporary measure until it could revitalize the economy and restore government revenues.

The president of one of two main teachers unions, Raymond Majongwe of the Progressive Teachers Union, says teachers want $500. But they decided⁷ to end the strike because it was hurting the children.

"The best way for teachers is go back to the schools and teach and allow their leadership to engage government," he said. "Then more positive results are going to come. We are killing⁸ ourselves because the very children who are not learning are our own children."

Zimbabwe's education system has been in decline for a decade, due to falling government revenues and an exodus⁹ of teachers.

Analysts¹⁰ blame the crisis on the policies of President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, but the party blames the problems on sanctions imposed by Western countries.

Education Minister David Coltart is a member of the former-opposition Movement for Democratic Change that joined the government as part of the power-sharing agreement between Mr. Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Coltart has been trying to rebuild the school system on a shoestring¹¹ budget.

"The problem that we face, however, as a government, is that our economy is in state of near-collapse," he said. "Our treasury¹² coffers are almost bare."

The United Nations recently donated $70-million for materials for Zimbabwe's schools. But donor¹³ countries hesitate to subsidize salaries for fear the funds will be diverted.

Coltart says he can only hope additional funding begins to flow in the next six months.

"I cannot today make any promises and all that I can do is to call on the sense of patriotism¹⁴ of our teachers and the trade union movement to recognize that we are acting¹⁵ in good faith, but there is a limit to what we can do," added Coltart.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions President Lovemore Matombo says the group's 350,000 workers in 32 trade unions are struggling to survive. But he says economic reforms eight months ago ended hyper-inflation and restored some economic production.

"The workers now know that the economy has started to stabilize¹⁶ and that there should be an increase of salaries," said Matombo. "Should they fail to do that [increase salaries], there is very much this feeling among workers that we should take [strike] action."

He says if worker demands are not met, there could be strikes before the end of the year, placing more pressure on the unity government and Zimbabwe's economy.   

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

3 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

4 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

5 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

6 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。

7 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。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 shoestring   

n.小额资本；adj.小本经营的

参考例句：

• In the early years,the business was run on a shoestring.早年，这家店铺曾是小本经营。
• How can I take the best possible digital pictures on a shoestring budget?怎样用很小投资拍摄最好的数码照片？

12 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

13 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

14 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

15 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

16 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。