VOA标准英语2012--美国公司向海地提供助听器

US Company Brings Hearing Aids to Haiti
美国公司向海地提供助听器

The silence sounds strange. More than a hundred people just sitting. Organizers call names, but others have to answer for them. Their silence is why they are here.
Some wait for longer than seven hours. But the wait is worth it. Many will hear for the first time in their lives. Like Jean Louis Roberson, 38.
He's never learned to talk. Because no one ever thought he could.
An American organization, the Starkey Hearing Foundation, travels to developing countries, fitting people with hearing aids. On this day, they are in Marchand Dessalines, Haiti, two hours from the capital Port-au-Prince.
There are no computers here in the Haitian countryside, no digital hearing analysis. And even these hearing aids - they’re not the latest technology. They are from the 1990s. But Starkey uses these to reach the most people.
"Most of the people are from schools for the deaf," said Starkey. "They have severe to profound hearing loss and we're trying to maximize their potential to function in this environment."
Barry Freeman says the foundation's work goes beyond the hearing aids.
"We are going to see that his ears are clean, that there's no infection," he said.
The foundation also trains Haitians to continue its efforts. The foundation invites celebrities¹ to join its work. Starkey is producing a reality show about these stars volunteering with the needy².
"You can do something and you should do something. Our challenge is ‘What will you do today?’” explains Bill Austin, the founder³.
Today, in Haiti, the celebrity⁴ is Miley Cyrus, an American pop singer and actress who starred in the Disney TV series Hannah Montana.
"Being able to hear music is even more important than me being able to sing it myself. Just being able to hear it and to feel each other and connect with each other," said Cyrus.
Neighbors who are watching all this are speechless for other reasons.
"They couldn't hear before and now they can," said a man.
Jean Louis Roberson's aids are fully⁵ adjusted. He hears his voice for the first time. And, he can't stop talking.
His words may sound crude and coarse. But to Roberson, hearing himself speak is music to his ears.

1 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

2 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。