VOA常速英语2014--巴西圣保罗贫民窟不再展现世界杯欢乐笑颜

 

Joy of World Cup Evades Sao Paulo Shantytown 巴西圣保罗贫民窟不再展现世界杯欢乐笑颜

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL — The World Cup kicks off on June 12 in San Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city. The huge metropolis¹ is focused on the big event, but residents of a local favela (shantytown) do not feel like the party is theirs.

Not far from these upscale buildings, kids in Moinho play soccer every day. Here, the noisy World Cup festivities do not carry much of an echo².

距这些高档建筑不远处的地方,莫尼诺的孩子们每天都在享受着足球带来的快乐。喧嚣嘈杂的世界杯给这里带来的影响并不大。

With no toilets or running water, kids here learn early how to survive.

由于没有厕所或自来水,孩子们在很小的时候就要学会如何生存。

In Moinho, there is no sign of the billions of dollars invested by the Brazilian government to organize the Cup.

在莫尼诺,没有任何巴西政府为世界杯投资过数十亿美元的迹象。

I do not feel anything for this Cup. Brazil spent money for the event, not for education.

我没有感受到世界杯的任何氛围。巴西为这届杯赛下了血本,却没有用于教育。

It is not fair. They invested billions of dollars for the World Cup but nothing for health or education.

这不公平。他们对世界杯投入数十亿美元,但在健康或者教育上却一毛不拔。

The few who have TV in their homes will be watching the World Cup games. This Cup is a real paradox³ for the people of Moinho, so close yet so far away.

那些在家里几乎没有电视的人也会观看世界杯比赛。这一赛事对于莫尼诺人民 而言真是十分矛盾,明明近在眼前却好似相隔天涯海角。

The favela has been here for decades. The city of San Paulo wants to expel⁴ its residents from the site. But they fight back.

这里的贫民窟已经有几十年的历史。圣保罗市想驱逐这里的居民。但他们则予以反击。

Alessandra Cunha grew up in Moinho. Today, she works with kids to help them stay out of trouble.

亚历山德拉达·库娜是土生土长的莫尼诺人。现如今她的工作是帮助孩子们远离麻烦。

There are people here who have needs, who have to be taken care of. It's not just a space.You have people living without water, electricity or toilets.

这里有人有需求,需要被照顾。这不仅仅是一个空间。你置人们的生活于没有水源、电力或厕所的境地。

Some people do not even have a toilet inside their home right in downtown Sao Paulo, the biggest city in Latin America!

连圣保罗市区一些人的家中甚至都没有厕所,试想这可是拉丁美洲最大的城市!

On the football field, kids keep playing. In this country where football is king, every kid dreams about being a professional and leaving poverty behind.

而在足球场上,孩子们继续挥洒着汗水。在这个桑巴足球王国,每个孩子都梦想成为专业足球运动员摆脱贫困。

Josuel Santana, 20, still believes he can escape life in the favela.

20岁的尤塞尔·桑塔纳仍然相信自己可以远离贫民窟的生活。

To me, football is like a second life.Football is like marriage. I need to be faithful. I’ll play anytime, anywhere.

对我来说,足球就像第二人生。足球就像婚姻。我需要绝对的忠诚。我随时随地的踢球。

My knee hurts, but I never stop playing. I always dream about being a professional.

虽然膝盖受伤,但我从未停止。我总是梦想成为专业足球运动员。

In the World Cup's shadow, such dreams are priceless. To the beat of Samba music, kids in Moinho always smile. It's worth all the trophies⁵ in the World.

在世界杯大幕的笼罩下,这样的梦想永远都是无价的。为了舞动桑巴音乐的节拍, 莫尼诺都是孩子总是面带微笑。这种笑颜才配得上世界上所有的殊荣。

1 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

2 echo   

n.回音，共鸣；vi.发出回声；vt.模仿，附和

参考例句：

• She shouted on the mountaintop and listened for the echo.她在山顶上大声喊着，然后聆听着回声。
• I should like to echo the words of the previous speaker.我想重复前面一位发言者的话。

3 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

4 expel   

vt.把...开除，驱逐，放逐，排出，喷出

参考例句：

• They were told at first that they should simply expel the refugees.一开始有人告诉他们应该直接将那些难民驱逐出境。
• The headmaster may expel the boy from the school.校长可能要把那个男孩从学校开除。

5 trophies   

n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖

参考例句：

• His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》