VOA标准英语2012--80,000 Syrians Take Refuge in Jordan

80,000 Syrians Take Refuge in Jordan

Early morning at this makeshift camp near Karama in the Jordan River Valley. Some of the 80,000 Syrians who have taken refuge in Jordan have come to this farming area hoping to find work.

Sixteen-year-old Khaled al-Ahmed arrived a few days ago, fleeing what he calls the slaughter¹ in Idlib, northern Syria. He wants his face hidden. He fears for the safety of his relatives back home. He says his family is desperate.

“There is no bread. There is no money to live on. I want to transfer money from here to them. But I cannot because if it reaches there it is stolen. So how do you think they are living? They are starving," he said. 

The fighting in Syria has grown increasingly deadly. The Syrian army is using tanks and artillery² against rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. Civilians³ are bearing the brunt of the conflict, which started as mostly peaceful demonstrations⁴ against the 40-year regime of the Assad family.

Dr. Wasfi al-Rashda heads the Irbid Specialty⁵ Hospital. He says the condition of the refugees is deplorable but is to be expected.

“Any refugee who leaves his homeland, who leaves his house, obviously is going to need humanitarian⁶ aid and medical care," he said. 

Many refugees receive help from the Jordanians. A local farmer lets these people live on his land. And the Jordanian government has donated tents and blankets. But it is not enough. This woman is ill and fainted.

Ali Hamad arrived two months ago from Hama, central Syria. He says life in the camp is hard for the refugees. The best they can hope for is temporary jobs in the fields.

“We are here doing nothing. If we find jobs we work just to have the basics, to survive. Clothes for the children, food, some small spending money, that's what we are asking," he said. 

Ali Hamad is engaged to 20-year-old Mariam, also from Hama. They want to get married but cannot as long as they are refugees. Mariam hopes for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

"God willing I will go back to Syria. God willing the war will calm down and the situation will be quiet and then I will return," he said. 

That is the hope of all of the people here. 

1 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

2 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 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。

5 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。