VOA标准英语2015--肯尼亚出狱囚犯寻求救赎的工作

 

Former Kenyan Prisoners Seek Redemption Through Work 肯尼亚出狱囚犯寻求救赎的工作

NAIROBI—

It is hard to find a job in Kenya and even harder with a criminal record.  But a group of former prisoners in Nairobi is working to prove there is life after crime.  

In the Mathare neighborhood of Nairobi, a group of former prisoners has exchanged a life of crime for a life of service.  Every day, the ex-convicts take to the streets -- collecting trash and doing other odd jobs to give back to a community that receives few public services.

It all started with an idea hatched¹ in prison by Festus Indimuli and his fellow inmates² while he was serving six years for a violent robbery.

Reflecting on the mistakes they made as young men, the inmates thought, there must be a better way and founded the organization Re4mists Kwetu Crime Si Poa or Crime is Not Good.

“When you create all these jobs for these guys, nobody actually will think of crime again, because he has something in his pocket, and he has somewhere that he is staying all the day from the morning to the evening," Indimuli said. "But you see when he does not do anything, just sitting like this, he engages his mind to crime.  So that's how we intend to stop the crime in the area.”

A year since its founding, the organization has more than 200 members.  Raising a small amount of cash through their work, members hope to expand operations to provide more services, including security.

The community, they say, is mostly supportive.  

But some, like fruit vendor³ Stanley Muiruri, are a bit skeptical⁴.

“We hope that from where they have been, they have reformed, that is what we hope,“ he said.

Some former inmates say their friends and families abandoned them when they went to prison.  The organization serves as a kind of support group for those who feel they lost touch with society.

Re4mist member Moses Bayon says he is ready to make up for lost time.

“Like myself, I was there for six years, spent time there.  It was no good," he said. "So I understand, I wasted most of my time there.  I would have made something outside here, you see?  But after that I learned something, and I knew crime was not good.”

Kenyan prisoners often receive training while behind bars, earning certificates in skills like plumbing⁵, electrical work or carpentry.  The furniture used by the country’s parliament was made in prison.  But despite their talents, it is nearly impossible to get a job.  Being an ex-con is a tough stigma⁶.

“They cannot use that certificate or that grade they got from prison, because when he goes to the company somewhere and shows the grade, it is also being written there 'Kamiti Maximum Prison,'” Indimuli said.

Until a time comes when it is easier for former prisoners to re-enter society, the Re4mists will keep picking up small jobs here and there, doing whatever it takes to raise a little money, to give something back to the community, and to commit themselves to prove the belief that everyone deserves a second chance. 

1 hatched   

孵化( hatch的过去式和过去分词 )； 孵出，破壳而出； 秘密策划，（尤指）密谋； 使（小鸟、小鱼、小虫等）孵出

参考例句：

• Silkworms are fed mulberry leaves after they have hatched. 蚕孵出后食桑叶。
• Ten out of the set of twelve were hatched. 一窝十二个蛋孵出了十个。

2 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

4 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

5 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。