VOA标准英语2010-January Earthquake Displaces Many Haitian

Children and teenagers make up 45 percent of Haiti's population. Many have been traumatized by January's earthquake.  Some have lost parents or relatives who were their only means of support. The lucky ones find care and shelter from others.  But, many end up on the streets, fending¹ for themselves and adding to Haiti's already sizeable population of street children.

The song is called Kids Carnival², a rap about surviving on the streets.  The artists are these street children from Port au Prince.

Each day, about 30 kids - the rappers among them - gather at the home of the man who helped them record it, 32-year-old Jimmy Bonhomme.  He's a former street kid himself, and he provides the one meal these kids have each day.

"It is a passion of mine, a mission for me," said Jimmy Bonhomme. "It's like God talked to me and told me to do this."

Before January's earthquake, there were 10,000 street children in Port au Prince, according to a UN estimate.  That number is expected to rise in the aftermath of the quake.  Most street children spend their days begging for money and food. 

Reverend Joseph Constant has worked with Haitian street kids for years.  He says their lives are full of misery³ and despair.

"They will either die on the street because no one really cares - no one cares about these children," he said. "So they are going to die or they are going to use them through trafficking. And usually they are abused sexually or they are a part of the crime wave."

Bonhomme knows the problems these kids face.  When he was on the streets, he was jailed seven times.  Often, he says, for crimes he did not commit. 

As an adult, he has dedicated⁴ his life to protecting street kids.

"Sometimes you have good moments, sometimes you have bad moments too," he said. "But not having anyone to defend your rights, that was the main reason that I decided⁵ to defend others."

The meal he provides everyday is conditional⁶. If the kids want to eat, they must attend school with Bonhomme every morning, from 7 until 10.

The neighborhood has given him a small building where he stores benches and donated supplies.

The first thing he teaches the kids is how to write their names. In a country with a 50-percent literacy rate, this is no small accomplishment⁷.

"If I am still alive, I want to make sure they get something good in society, a doctor or a lawyer.  If I am still alive," said Jimmy Bonhomme.

After school, the kids go out to beg.  They give some of that money back so Bonhomme can buy food  

The support he provides is not lost on the children.  David Camille told us he lived with his grandmother until she died.  Then, he was forced onto the streets.   He has been shot at by gangs and hit by a car.  Papa, as he calls Bonhomme, provides the only stability in his life.

"Papa has been doing a lot for us," said David Camille. "He gives us most everything we need.  Even some times he gets mad at us when we do things he doesn't like.  But that doesn't prevent him from loving us and giving us what we need."

Nothing goes to waste, down to the burnt pasta at the bottom of the pot.  Then, a scramble⁸ for the last morsels⁹. 

Officials say it's impossible to know how many more children were forced into the streets by the earthquake. 

These children told us they do not want to live in a government run orphanage¹⁰.  They prefer the freedom and comfort Papa provides.
 

1 fending   

v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的现在分词 )；挡开，避开

参考例句：

• He is always spending his time fending with the neighbors. 他总是与邻里们吵架。 来自互联网
• Fifth, it is to build safeguarding system and enhance the competence in fending off the risk. 五是建立政策保障体系，提高防范和抵御风险的能力。 来自互联网

2 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

3 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

4 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

5 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。

6 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

7 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

8 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

9 morsels   

n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑

参考例句：

• They are the most delicate morsels. 这些确是最好吃的部分。 来自辞典例句
• Foxes will scratch up grass to find tasty bug and beetle morsels. 狐狸会挖草地，寻找美味的虫子和甲壳虫。 来自互联网

10 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。