VOA标准英语2010年-Visit to Soweto Shows Changes 16 Years

Soccer fans in South Africa for the World Cup will also have the opportunity learn about some of the country's turbulent history.  June 16 is the national holiday called "Youth Day."  On this date in 1976, Hector Peterson, a 12-year-old schoolboy was killed by police in Soweto.  The event marked the beginning of the Soweto uprising and the eventual¹ end of apartheid in 1994.

Sakhumzi Maqupela in kitchen of his restaurant in Soweto

Sixteen years after the end of apartheid, Sakhumzi Maqupela is one of South Africa's "black diamonds," the country's emerging black upper class.

He owns Sakhumzi's restaurant on the famed Vilakazi Street in Soweto.  In the apartheid era it was illegal for blacks to own a business.  As Sakhumzi told us, it was so blacks always knew who their master was. "Police used to come and terrorize you, if you are still open they used to come and take even your clients," he said.

On June 16 1976, a few blocks from Sakhumzi's restaurant, 12-year-old schoolboy Hector Peterson was shot by police.    He and other schoolchildren were protesting against the use of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools.  This monument was built in his memory.  The shooting marked the beginning of the Soweto uprising and the eventual end of apartheid.  Each year, on the same date, South Africa observes Youth Day. "Those people are heroes because without them we wouldn't be where we are," Sakhumzi said.

Today, Soweto is a very different place. Sakhumzi's restaurant is thriving. Situated² on the same street where Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela once lived, it is frequented by tourists from around the world.  We first met Sakhumzi sitting and talking with a white Afrikaner friend, something that would have been impossible during apartheid. 

Patron Ernst Vanbiljon told us that over the past sixteen years, more and more whites have ventured into the black townships. "After '94 we started working together but we know so little about one another.  And at that stage, I thought it good to go out and make contact and see what everything is about," he said.

Modern shopping mall in Soweto

Today, parts of Soweto looks like a typical suburb anywhere in the world.  The new face of the township is represented by.  Maponya Mall, the first in the area. It is filled with luxury and international-brand stores.  We asked one shopper, Tumi, who had stopped by for a quick browse³ before going to a match at Soccer City, if most people in Soweto could afford to shop here

"People can definitely afford to shop here.  In the past they would get on taxis and go to get to these sort of malls in other areas, areas where predominantly white people lived.  So, now the malls are here in their own areas which is fantastic," Tumi said.

But for every person who can afford to shop at Maponya Mall, there are five who cannot.  Soweto still has deep pockets of poverty.  There are places where shanties⁴ stretch as far as the eye could see.  Lizi We, who is unemployed⁵ and has been living in this tin shack⁶ for more five years, says local officials have squandered⁷ the national assistance they receive. "Because our government, he is giving them money for the improvement but, we don't see anything, any improvement here," she said.

Back on Vilakazi Street, Sakhumzi has plans to expand his business.  Building on the freedoms that activists⁸ like Hector Peterson have given him, he would like one day to turn Sakhumzi Restaurant into a global chain.
 

1 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

2 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

3 browse   

vi.随意翻阅，浏览；(牛、羊等)吃草

参考例句：

• I had a browse through the books on her shelf.我浏览了一下她书架上的书。
• It is a good idea to browse through it first.最好先通篇浏览一遍。

4 shanties   

n.简陋的小木屋( shanty的名词复数 )；铁皮棚屋；船工号子；船歌

参考例句：

• A few shanties sprawl in the weeds. 杂草丛中零零落落地歪着几所棚屋。 来自辞典例句
• The workers live in shanties outside the factory. 工人们住在工厂外面的小棚屋内。 来自互联网

5 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

6 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

7 squandered   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squandered all his money on gambling. 他把自己所有的钱都糟蹋在赌博上了。
• She felt as indignant as if her own money had been squandered. 她心里十分生气，好像是她自己的钱给浪费掉了似的。 来自飘（部分）

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》