VOA标准英语2014--Free Ramadan Meals a Blessing for Many in Pakistan

 

Free Ramadan Meals a Blessing¹ for Many in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD —

After suffering for years from a stagnant² economy and inflation on basic items like food, even middle-class Pakistanis are feeling the economic pinch.  As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in Pakistan, many people are taking advantage of free iftar dinners sponsored by charities and wealthy individuals.  

In a low-income neighborhood of the Pakistani capital, free iftar dinners are arranged for needy³ people throughout the month of Ramadan.

Organizers say rising inflation has led more and more people each year to break their fast at the free meals.

Mohammad Amir, who works at a tailor shop, says he saves good money by eating for free because his income is not enough to buy food for his entire family.  He says he comes to the dinner for breaking the fast, though it is personally quite embarrassing to sit in an open area and wait for the charity food.

Amir says that although philanthropists are feeding people this way, political leaders are doing little to address rising food prices and unemployment. He says the politicians are fighting with each other and they are unaware⁴ whether the public is starving to death or how are they managing their lives.

Asad Ullah works as a security guard and visits the free food camp every Ramadan. He hopes the money he saves will help him buy new clothes for his children. Ullah says his salary is just around 10,000 rupees ($100) a month and that eating one meal for free saves him 25 percent of his income which helps his family at the end of month meet some urgent needs.  

Organizer Abdul Razak Bhatti says local traders and wealthy people are quietly funding the charity work. He says that he began offering free food during Ramadan five years ago out of his religious devotion. But he says he has now made it a daily practice throughout the year.

“Usually there is one bread earner who has to feed a family of say 10 people," Bhatti said. "So, obviously their basic needs are not met and then there are rising electricity bills, natural gas bills and other such matters that it becomes extremely difficult for the family to live on the fewer resources.”

Tahira Abdullah, an Islamabad-based human rights activist⁵, welcomes the growing tradition of free meals in Ramadan but has her own reservations about it.

“I feel that it is absolutely shameful⁶ that in the so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan we have this kind of need and such kinds of poverty, rising levels of poverty that we need now lower middle and the poor to go to the philanthropy and charity," she said. "Do you think that those who line up along streets and avenues for free food in the evening every Ramadan have any shred⁷ of self-respect and dignity left? Nothing.”

Like previous years, the government is offering a Ramadan relief package that subsidizes the cost of flour, sugar, lentils, milk and other foods. But critics say the savings⁸ rarely trickle⁹ down to the needy because of rampant¹⁰ corruption¹¹.

1 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

2 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

3 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。

4 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

7 shred   

v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少

参考例句：

• There is not a shred of truth in what he says.他说的全是骗人的鬼话。
• The food processor can shred all kinds of vegetables.这架食品加工机可将各种蔬菜切丝切条。

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

9 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

10 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。