VOA标准英语2010年-Officials Concerned About Anti-Foreign

Bishop¹ Paul Verryn offers a blessing² to his parishioners in a dimly-lit downtown Johannesburg church

Once the World Cup is over, and the world's attention turns away from South Africa, there are fears there could be another outbreak of xenophobic, or anti-foreigner, violence in Johannesburg, similar to that of two years ago. In May, 2008, gangs of local black South Africans attacked immigrants from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe - accusing them of taking away jobs, among other grievances³. More than 60 people - both immigrants and South Africans - were killed.

In a dimly-lit downtown Johannesburg church, Bishop Paul Verryn offers a blessing to his parishioners.

The songs are in Shona, one of the languages of Zimbabwe. The Church is home to almost 1,500 refugees from outside South Africa. Bishop Verryn says 80 percent of them are political refugees from Zimbabwe. The rest are economic refugees. He is concerned there might be another outbreak of xenophobic violence against foreigners after the World Cup, much like that in 2008 when more than 60 people were killed.

"There has been threats," says Bishop Verryn. "Particularly once the World Cup is finished - 'you must understand that as the world leaves South Africa, so will you.'"

The threats are focused on people like Noeo Muguti, who came to South Africa to escape what he calls the state-sponsored terror of President Robert Mugabe's government. In 2008, he was a parliamentary candidate for the opposition⁴ Movement For Democratic Change, or MDC party. After he lost to the Mugabe-backed candidate, the violence began.

"On the 26th of April, while I was away, they abducted⁵ my wife and killed her – they abducted her – and she is still missing. Just outside my homestead," Muguti said. "I don't know where she is and I assume and believe she is dead."

Noeo was arrested twice. The first time he was beaten. After the second time, he knew if he did not leave the country he would be killed.

"I endured the worst torture for some days. Again I got a second rib⁶ broken," he added. "How I fled from Goromonzi I can not talk about it or I can not explain. I found myself along the Goromonzi-Harare road, waiting for a lift."

Now he lives here, deep within the bowels⁷ of the church with no electricity and little light.

Noeo says there are thirty to forty people living in this room. He himself suffers from broken ribs⁸, diabetes⁹ and asthma¹⁰, which make it difficult for him to work.

"At the moment, I am struggling to get medication," said Muguti. "At the moment I am struggling to get adequate food. The Bishop helps here and there, and the most important thing he has done in my life is given me shelter."

Bishop Verryn says there are 40,000 to 50,000 African refugees living in the city. They often work for lower wages than South Africans, and a minority are involved in crime. Many South Africans resent their presence.

"The gossip, the speak on the train, is virulent¹¹ with regard to this and actually very angry," Verryn said. "That South Africans are feeling cheated upon, they are feeling abused, they feel that foreign nationals are criminals, they can not be trusted."

Bishop Verryn says there have been meetings with local African National Congress members to try to head off any possible violence. He says the ANC officials want to hold a mass meeting, possibly in Soweto, to try to ease tensions.

 

1 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

2 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

3 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

6 rib   

n.肋骨，肋状物

参考例句：

• He broke a rib when he fell off his horse.他从马上摔下来折断了一根肋骨。
• He has broken a rib and the doctor has strapped it up.他断了一根肋骨，医生已包扎好了。

7 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

9 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

10 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

11 virulent   

adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的

参考例句：

• She is very virulent about her former employer.她对她过去的老板恨之入骨。
• I stood up for her despite the virulent criticism.尽管她遭到恶毒的批评，我还是维护她。