VOA标准英语2010年-Palestinians in Beirut Hope for More R

A Palestinian man shouts slogans during a protest to demand civil rights for Palestinians refugees, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, June 27, 2010.

Like the tangled¹ electricity wires at Bourj al Barajne camp outside Beirut, the situation of Palestinians in Lebanon is complicated. 

Despite the fact that many have been living in Lebanon for generations, they are still refugees, and as such are forced to live in squalid camps, are denied access to the state's social security, health-care or education systems, and can only work in menial jobs.  Many are growing frustrated² with their conditions.

Abou el Walid is a community leader at the Bourj al Barajne. “We are suffering,” he said in his native Arabic. “We lived the hardship and we do not need anything but living in a decent way. We want to be proud; we need the right to work and the right to own property, and rights to live as a human being.”
 
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, there are an estimated 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in 12 camps throughout Lebanon.  They are descendants of families who fled the fighting in 1948 that eventually created the state of Israel.

Brahim Al Ashwah is a 47-year-old father of six who also lives in the camp.  He says he wants to buy a house for his son so that he can get married, but does not have the money.

“You can barely find a job here,” he says. “No one will hire you because you are Palestinian. You cannot work in a company because you are Palestinian. No health insurance, no life at all.  I have a boy in university. I pulled him out because even if he graduates, he cannot find a job.”

During the weekend, thousands of activists³ marched to the Lebanese capital to demand rights for Palestinians.  Under the watchful⁴ eye of Lebanese security forces, they urged the country's politicians to approve a draft law that would give them employment and property ownership guarantees.

Although some Lebanese politicians are considering giving Palestinians more rights, opponents argue that could pave the way to their naturalization.

Since a vast majority of the refugees are Sunni Muslims, Christian⁵ leaders fear such a large influx⁶ of citizens could tilt⁷ the sectarian balance, as well as increase competition in the job market and strain Lebanon's economic resources.

Manal Kassab, who is half Lebanese, half Palestinian, was among them.  She says Palestinians do not want citizenship⁸, just dignity. "There is no need for the Palestinians to be naturalized and they do not want to be naturalized,” she said. “They wanted to be treated as a special category in Lebanon and to abide⁹ by all the international conventions; having the right to work, right to ownership, but the nationality is not a need."

That is because most Palestinians still hope they will return to their lives, families and properties in what is now modern-day Israel.  In the mean time, activists have presented a draft law to members of Parliament outlining their requests.  Requests they say would allow Palestinians access to a normal life.
 

1 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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》

4 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

7 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

8 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

9 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。