VOA标准英语2011--Somalia's '11 Brothers' Sing Refugee Rhy

Somalia's '11 Brothers' Sing Refugee Rhythm and Blues¹

A group of Somali friends who have fled their country have reassembled as a rhythm and blues and hip²-hop³ band in South Africa. But even in their new country, where they are living as refugees, they also face threats to their lives.
Somali refugees clap, dance and practice a karaoke song in a tightly secured apartment building in Pretoria.
They are part of a group called the 11 Brothers. They initially⁴ grew from a soccer team in southern Somalia, and now they are 14 members.
They usually perform at local wedding ceremonies and other Somali diaspora events. A Somali friend who lives in the United States also sends them beats to make hip hop songs.
One song called The Motherland was a hit back in Somalia.
Band leader Abdoul Kadir, who fled Somalia by foot several years ago, explains the group's motivation.
"Mostly what we talk about is love, peace and we even talk about the problems back home in Somalia. We criticize these warlords and these extremists who are making Somalia worse than it was before like al-Shabab, which is not part of our culture. What they are doing is totally against our religion and our culture," Kadir said.
The song's popularity also led to email and phone threats against the 11 Brothers.
They say even though they fled Somalia, they still feel unsafe. And the threats do not just come from Somalia, but from South African gangs as well, who target immigrant market vendors⁵.
In June, Kadir says the band's main sponsor, Brahman, was shot in the head and killed by a thief who stole his store money.
"He was the one who was helping⁶ us through financial help and everything. He was our elder brother I guess because most of us we are young. Some of us we are 25, 26. He was older than us but he was supporting us very hard. So it is a great loss to the group," Kadir said.
Previously⁷, they say another band member was killed in similar circumstances, while another was killed in a bus crash.
Kadir gives a tour of a new shop group members have recently opened in a much safer neighborhood of Pretoria. The shop is also called 11 Brothers.
"We sell small products and groceries. This is our source of income as 11 Brothers because down there in the informal settlements it is very insecure. We feel a little bit safer here. We can make a business here," he said.
By pooling their resources and living frugally⁸, the 11 Brothers say they can afford working and living in this more expensive area of Pretoria. It also has a big local mosque⁹ where they pray and a large Muslim population which shops at their store.
The 11 Brothers also find time to play soccer in their gated courtyard, the activity which initially brought them together back in Somalia.
Band member Hamza Mohammed, who is 25, says he accepts the plight¹⁰ of being a refugee as long as he can stay safe.
"You have to accept because you do not have a country. You do not have a government. You have to accept to be a refugee. We are not refusing that we are refugees. We are happy to be refugees, if we can get safe, if we can get a better life," Mohammed said.
Soccer has become their secondary activity now, as their game stops and quickly breaks out into more clapping and an impromptu¹¹ song.
When Somalia becomes safer, the 11 Brothers say they hope they will have survived South Africa and will be able to return with some savings¹² and a few more diaspora musical hits.

 

1 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

2 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

3 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 frugally   

adv. 节约地, 节省地

参考例句：

• They lived frugally off a diet of porridge and lentils. 他们生活节俭，只吃燕麦粥和小扁豆。
• The enterprise is in live frugally, common people criterion enclasp pocket. 企业在节衣缩食，老百姓则握紧了口袋。

9 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

10 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

11 impromptu   

adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)

参考例句：

• The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
• The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

12 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。