VOA标准英语2013--Displaced Syrians Despair Over Civil War

 

Displaced Syrians Despair Over Civil War

Late morning at the Bab al-Salama camp in northern Syria. Life has become routine and tedious as residents wait for places in Turkey's refugee camps.

This camp has grown in 10 months from nothing into a small town with a population of nearly 15,000 people. But life is nowhere near normal for those living in tents without electricity or running water.

Thirteen year-old Mahmoud Assad arrived five months ago from Aleppo with his family. Life, he said, is hard.

“It's very hot here. We suffer from mosquito bites, flies. My brother was bitten by a snake,” he said.

Dire¹ health conditions

Poor sanitation² in such tight quarters poses a health risk. The camp's head doctor, Namir al-Nasser, fears an outbreak of cholera³ or typhoid among other problems.

“The nutrition is very bad here. No fruit. The meat, once every week they give them some food with meat. And no eggs. I don't see here any milk, only yogurt. But it's not sufficient for these people,” said al-Nasser.

He said the water is purified, but the residents suffer anyway from diarrhea, which he believes is due to the poor sanitation.

Residents receive one meal a day, down from three-a-day last year. Today's meal consists of bulgur wheat, a sauce and green peppers.

Scratching for survival

Some residents operate small shops. Satuf al-Hassan said he makes one or two dollars a day.

“We are dying here. The people have no money,” said Hassan.

Twenty-eight year-old Hussein Kojak came four months ago after Syrian forces killed his brother and bombed his village. He knows about the new weapons promised by Western and gulf⁴ Arab countries.

“I heard about the arms," said Kojak. "I just wish they had come before. But God willing they will make a difference. Soon.”

In the evening the children attend classes. Twenty-four-year-old Mohammed al-Atrash said he tries to teach his pupils a new mentality⁵.

“More freedom, of course. This is the main idea, that they can talk [speak] whatever they want, whenever they want and wherever they want,” he said.

Nevertheless, there is a mood of despair. After months of waiting, the passage to Turkey into safety still does not come. 

1 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

2 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

3 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。