VOA标准英语2015--一个女人的愿景——消除贫困家庭

One Woman’s Vision to Eradicate¹ Poverty a Family at a Time 一个女人的愿景——消除贫困家庭

NEW YORK—

When Albina du Boisrouvray was confronted with one of life’s most difficult losses – the death of her only child – she turned her grief into something positive: she created a legacy² for her son by helping³ people around the world out of poverty in his name.

Albina du Boisrouvray was born into privilege, had a successful career in film and literary arts and married a business magnate. She seemed to have a charmed life. But in 1986, her world was forever changed when her son Francois-Xavier Bagnoud was killed in a helicopter accident.

“He was a very dedicated⁴ search-and-rescue pilot and he lost his life at age 24 in a mission in Mali,” said du Boisrouvray.

She created FXBVillage to accomplish what Francois-Xavier died too soon to do himself.

“So when I set up this organization, I wanted it to take on his commitment to rescuing people on a large basis, and that’s why I started with those children who were so destitute⁵ and the people living in poverty,” she said.

FXB began working in 1990 in Uganda, helping children orphaned⁶ by HIV/AIDS and their guardians⁷ move from poverty to self-sufficiency by investing in them. Today, FXB works in eight countries with some of the highest chronic⁸ poverty rates in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

Eighty to 100 families at a time are brought into the program or “village” for three years. In the first year, they receive free food, health care, education and housing, so the breadwinner can focus on building a business to sustain the family long-term.  Whether it is the purchase of a single cow, a sewing machine or farming tools, FXB provides it all, none of it is a loan.

“And so the second year they have made savings⁹ and they participate in the budget, about 25 percent, we invest 75 percent. Third year it’s 50-50; the fourth year they are on their own,” said du Boisrouvray.

She said building a family’s ability to provide for itself has helped lift more than 80,000 people out of poverty over the past 25 years. The program costs a modest $125 to $230 per person per year but the payoff is huge, with 86 percent of families who have completed the program succeeding in getting out -- and staying out -- of extreme poverty.

“It also gives women and children, but mostly women, back their dignity, their pride and it unleashes¹⁰ all their capabilities¹¹ of creativity and work,” she said.

When people are empowered, she said, they can help themselves and their families achieve a better life.

1 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 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。

4 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

5 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

6 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

7 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

8 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

9 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。

10 unleashes   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• These findings qualify the common view that economic growth unleashes myriad discontents. 这些发现，纠正了一个普遍观点，即经济发展使人们尽情宣泄不满。 来自互联网
• This caster unleashes a storm of electric discharge on the enemy. 法师向敌人释放出一片电火花的风暴。 来自互联网

11 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓