VOA标准英语2009年-Landmine Survivors Still not Getting Help

A new report finds survivors² of landmines⁴ and other explosive remnants of war continue to suffer discrimination and general neglect from the governments that promised to assist them. The so-called "Voices from the Ground" report is issued by Handicap International and the Campaign to Ban Landmines.
　
Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger (r) and Firoz Ali Alizada, a landmine³ victim (l), speak to the press in Geneva, Switzerland, 02 Sep 2009

Firoz Alizada is from Afghanistan. He was 12 years old when he stepped on a landmine while taking a shortcut⁵ to school. He lost both legs and injured his left hand. This accident, he says, changed his life and took away his hope.

"I did not get any psychological support," said Alizada. "Nobody was there to do some kind of peer support with me. I was really thinking that I am alone, that nobody will take care of me and I will be a burden."

But, Alizada did get his life together. He now is 27, is married and works for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. But he tells VOA about the extensive discrimination he suffered before reaching this point. He says he did not finish college and could not find a job because of his disability.

Alizada's story is echoed by many of the more than 1,600 survivors from 25 countries who were interviewed for the report.

The director-general of Handicap International Belgium, Marc Joolen, says they represent the more than 500,000 land mine victims around the world, who continue to suffer from their disability and from the stigma⁶ attached to it. He says 70 percent of those interviewed do not think their situation has changed in the past 10 years.

"The mine ban treaty has been successful when it comes to clearance⁷, to do something about stockpiling of explosives, and the usage of mines and other explosives," said Joolen. "However, lack of focus when it comes to the victims of mines, lack of involvement of the victims themselves in making decisions about how their situations could change ... is still badly lagging behind."

The report finds medical care and physical rehabilitation⁸ have improved. Just 21 percent of respondents say psychological services have improved. When it comes to jobs, they say they are the last in line.

Stan Brabant of Handicap International notes unemployment of land mine survivors in Afghanistan is more than 70 percent and at around 90 percent in Eritrea.

"We see people that are devastated⁹ and they require long-term supports," said Brabant. "Most of the time what we see, and this is reported in this book, is that most of the support is actually provided by the survivor¹ himself or herself and family and the community, but, not by States. States are not doing anything on that. That is a scandal."

Since the Mine Ban Treaty came into force, the number of casualties has gone down. But, advocates for survivor assistance say it remains¹⁰ intolerably high. Every year, 15,000 people are killed or maimed in more than 70 countries.

1 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

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 landmine   

n.地雷

参考例句：

• A landmine is a kind of weapon used in war.地雷是一种运用于战争的武器。
• The treaty bans the use,production and trade of landmine.那条约禁止使用生产和交易雷。

4 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

5 shortcut   

n.近路，捷径

参考例句：

• He was always looking for a shortcut to fame and fortune.他总是在找成名发财的捷径。
• If you take the shortcut,it will be two li closer.走抄道去要近2里路。

6 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

7 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

8 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

9 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。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。