VOA标准英语2014--叙利亚难民抱怨约旦难民营的条件

 

Syrian Refugees Complain About Conditions at Jordanian Camp 叙利亚难民抱怨约旦难民营的条件

AZRAQ, JORDAN— 

The Syrian refugee crisis is growing worse by the day as host countries face economic and political pressures as they struggle to deal with the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have fled their war-torn nation.

In Jordan, about 80 percent of the 620,000 registered Syrian refugees are living in urban areas. But 20 percent are mostly housed in camps.

Jordan's newest Syrian refugee camp, Azraq, was opened six months ago to relieve some of the pressure from urban areas by housing 130,000 people. But so far, only 15,000 refugees have moved in.

About 100 kilometers east of the Jordanian capital, Amman, lies an arid¹ desert. The Azraq refugee camp sitson nine square miles.

Abdullah Ali al-Qasim arrived three months ago. He left Syria after seeing eight of his family members killed in a missile attack. But he still wants to return.

He said the rats, the high prices at the market and poor food quality are making life in what he calls an open-air prison impossible.

“The rest of my family is still in Syria, and I talk to them and they want to come, but I’m telling them not to come, because it’s not in their interests. They’re under the warplanes and bombardment every day in a village, they’re displaced going from village to village, but there is still better, it’s enough that they’re free," said al-Qasim.

By free, Abdullah means they can move around however they want. Here, there’s no work for him, and the $28 he receives every month is barely enough to feed his son. But he can't leave the camp unless a Jordanian vouches³ for him. 

“My relatives are Syrian, and they can’t be the person vouching⁴ for me.  It has to be a Jordanian related to me by blood or marriage, and there have to be security procedures,” he explained.

Still, Abdullah's neighbors have it worse. Nearby, an elderly mother who did not want to give her name lives with her two adult daughters and their eight sons. They arrived only days ago.

“We practically died coming over, it was awful. We were in the desert for three days, without water, and the kids were going to die without water but it was all to get away from Bashar’s bombings,” she said.

All three lost their husbands under tragic⁵ circumstances.

“I was next to him, and he was shot, the bullet went into him here and out from here. They shot him deliberately⁶, face to face. And now nobody asks about how my kids are doing. No religion would accept this. What state would accept this?" she said.

Watching his father get killed has left serious marks on Mohammed. He doesn’t talk much anymore, and stays with his mother most of the time.

Like Mohammed, more than half of the inhabitants at the camp are children, but many are even less fortunate than he is, having lost their entire families. A number of aid agencies are focused just on helping⁷ soothe⁸ that trauma⁹. Safety is another priority, and a key agency, CARE, has built a cultural center in the center of the village.

On one recent day, they celebrated¹⁰ a holiday with traditional Syrian music.

Mahmoud used to play in Damascus bars and restaurants before the war broke out. He’s been at the camp with his family for one month but wants to leave.

“There are a lot of bad things that happened here in the camp, a lot of bad things.  Life here isn’t livable. I’m hoping to submit for someone to vouch² for me,” said Mahmoud.

But that may take some time. Overcrowded urban areas, such as refugee camps in Amman, are not a much better alternative. Refugees can’t get work permits and the rents are inflated¹¹.

For now, brief moments of what once was will have to do.

1 arid   

adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的

参考例句：

• These trees will shield off arid winds and protect the fields.这些树能挡住旱风,保护农田。
• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。

2 vouch   

v.担保；断定；n.被担保者

参考例句：

• They asked whether I was prepared to vouch for him.他们问我是否愿意为他作担保。
• I can vouch for the fact that he is a good worker.我保证他是好员工。

3 vouches   

v.保证( vouch的第三人称单数 )；担保；确定；确定地说

参考例句：

• Who vouches for your good conduct?" 谁是你的保人？” 来自子夜部分
• This paper vouches for the authenticity of the painting. 这份文件担保这幅画的可信赖姓。 来自互联网

4 vouching   

n.（复核付款凭单等）核单v.保证( vouch的现在分词 )；担保；确定；确定地说

参考例句：

• These are references vouching for his ability. 这些都是证明他能力的介绍信。 来自互联网
• If you want to test, to test a Vouching Clerk is also more useful to some. 你如果要考，去考个单证员还更有用一些。 来自互联网

5 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

6 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

7 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。

8 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

9 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

10 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

11 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》