Rural Egyptians Welcome Change, Economic Worries Linger

The Egyptian village of Kafr Torky lies along the banks of the Nile, seemingly a world away from the passions that played out further north, in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Yet even in such a bucolic¹ setting, the demonstrations² and ultimate victory of the protesters proved riveting³. The villagers share some of the complaints, especially economic, that are still bringing protests in the nation's cities.
Ragab el-Gazzar says he would return from his job transporting bricks from a factory to Kafr Torky around 10:00 at night, then switch on the television.
He recounts, with deep respect, that "the youth were saying what I could not say."
For the first time in his 40 some years, el-Gazzar saw the fear of speaking out disappear. But as he stands in a field just outside the last village wall, the first green sprouts⁴ of a new crop emerging from the soil, he wavers.
El-Gazzar liked Hosni Mubarak, the man who ruled Egypt for most of his life. The villager blames those around the former president for giving bad advice. Moreover, as much as he admires the protesters for raising their political voice, such freedoms are not his only concern.
He says that, for 30 years, the president ensured peace and prosperity. He adds he has seen what his father and grandfather never did.
A neighbor is quick to disagree.
Fouad Abdel Hamid Zahran, a farmer who describes himself as the village sheikh, says those who work the soil are tired. There are no pesticides⁵, no seeds. Fertilizer is expensive, he says, adding that the old agricultural cooperatives no longer exist. He says "I am worn out."
El-Gazzar concedes that some things have declined, among them, education. He once had a promising⁶ future.
This man who transports bricks has a university education, holding a bachelor's degree in law. Like so many educated Egyptians unable to find work in their professions, he also worries about his children.
A father of four, he shares the concerns of those protesting economic conditions in cities across Egypt, protests still going strong even after Mubarak stepped down.
He wonders why the Egyptian people did not speak out before, why they put up with what he calls 30 years of oppression.? But then, his ambivalence⁷ returns. He is forgiving, not just of the former president and what he did, but even of the widely despised police.?
"There were good ones along with the bad," he says, and when they all disappeared during the unrest, he feared criminals could attack his home and he wished for the police to return.
But of one thing he is certain: a pride in country common to all sides during the protests, where battles were fought between groups each raising the Egyptian flag.
"It is enough we have the Nile," he says; we want nothing. "We plant and we eat and we can farm our land."
While many questions remain about Egypt's future, el-Gazzar says he is not afraid of what is coming. He adds for emphasis, "I am never afraid when I am on Egyptian soil."

1 bucolic   

adj.乡村的；牧羊的

参考例句：

• It is a bucolic refuge in the midst of a great bustling city.它是处在繁华的大城市之中的世外桃源。
• She turns into a sweet country girl surrounded by family,chickens and a bucolic landscape.她变成了被家人、鸡与乡村景象所围绕的甜美乡村姑娘。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 riveting   

adj.动听的，令人着迷的，完全吸引某人注意力的；n.铆接（法）

参考例句：

• I find snooker riveting though I don't play myself.虽然我自己不打斯诺克，但是我觉得它挺令人着迷。
• To my amazement,I found it riveting.但令我惊讶的是，我发现它的吸引人处。

4 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

7 ambivalence   

n.矛盾心理

参考例句：

• She viewed her daughter's education with ambivalence.她看待女儿的教育问题态度矛盾。
• She felt a certain ambivalence towards him.她对他的态度有些矛盾。