环球英语 — 85：World Toilet Summit

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹. I’m Rebekah Schipper.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Every day, all over the world, groups of people meet together. They meet to talk about important issues. Business people meet about ways to improve their companies. Teachers meet about new ways to teach mathematics, science, or English. World leaders meet about international policies. But, have you ever heard of people meeting about toilets?
Voice 2
In October 2007, people from forty [40] different countries met in Delhi, India. They met to talk about toilets. Many people may not think that toilets are a very important subject to discuss. But, the people attending the World Toilet Summit² disagree. They believe that toilets are an important part of good health. And they know that over two billion [2,000,000,000] people are without toilets. That means that over two billion people are at risk of infection, every day.
Voice 1
You see, human waste is made of mostly two [2] things, water and dangerous organisms³ like bacteria. These organisms can cause different diseases⁵ - if the organisms enter a person’s mouth. In fact, many diseases are spread through human waste. These diseases include food poisoning, diarrhoea, cholera⁶ and typhus. These are all deadly diseases. In fact, the United Nations estimates⁷ that every year over two million [2,000,000] children die from diarrhoea and other diseases caused by human waste.
Voice 2
The problem is that everyone must have a place to rid their bodies of waste - including people who do not have toilets. Some people use their fields. So, the organisms in their waste find a new place to live. Often, the organisms choose to live on the food growing in the field. When people eat that food, they can get sick.
Voice 1
Other people use rivers to carry away their waste. But organisms from human waste can live in water. So, when people use water from the river, they can get sick.
Voice 2
And in some places many people must share one toilet. This is the case for one poor area in Mumbai, India. One thousand four hundred and forty [1440] people share one toilet. In this situation, the toilet and the area around it can get very dirty. Large groups of dangerous organisms begin to grow. People who use dirty toilets can get sick, especially if they do not wash their hands. It is important to always wash your hands after using a toilet. You never know how clean the toilet actually is. Even if you are the only one using it, you should always wash your hands.
Voice 1
After learning⁸ about human waste and disease⁴ it is easier to understand the importance of toilets. Toilets make it easier to keep human waste out of our fields and rivers. Providing toilets for everyone makes it easier to keep them clean from bacteria and other harmful organisms. Toilets help keep people healthy.
Voice 2
And that is why people met to talk about toilets at the World Toilet Summit. They want to keep people healthy by providing toilets. The people at the Summit have a goal. They share this goal with World Health Organization. They hope that by the year 2015, the number of people without toilets will be reduced by half.
Voice 1
But, there are problems with providing toilets for many people. First, it can cost a lot of money to start. That is why so many people in the world still do not have a toilet. So, at the Summit, people discussed ways to make toilets that cost less. Many toilet companies also attended the Summit. They brought along their ideas for lower priced toilets. One idea came from an Indian company called Sulabh International. This company created several different models of traditional Indian squat⁹ toilets. People do not sit on these toilets. These toilets are on the ground. People lower themselves over them. These toilets cost less and use very little water.
Voice 2
Sulabh International has built thousands of these toilets in India already. They cost as little as ten [10] dollars each. The local government paid to build the toilets. But, people who use them must pay a small fee of two cents. This money goes to help keep the toilets clean and running. Children and those who are disabled can use the toilets for free.
Voice 1
Another problem is that many people who live in poor communities are not educated about toilets or the importance of keeping toilet areas clean. So, discussion¹⁰ at the Summit also included education methods. One method was to form community groups. These groups would help educate communities about using toilets. These groups would also have the job of keeping the toilets clean.
Voice 2
The efforts made by the people at the World Toilet Summit are important. Soon, their efforts will start saving¹¹ lives.
Voice 1
You many be wondering if there is any evidence supporting toilets and their link to health. We will leave you today with this story from Pakistan.
Voice 2
In 1980, there was a group working in a poor area in Karachi, Pakistan. This group decided¹² the community needed a better system to get rid of human waste. The group gathered the community members together. The group then educated the men and woman from the community about toilets and health. The community decided that having a better system would be a good idea.
Voice 1
So, little by little the community began to build sewer¹³ channels. These sewer channels collected human waste. The channels carried the waste away from the toilets in people’s homes to a safe area. In this area the waste could not reach food or water sources. Soon, the whole community had sewer channels leading waste away from their homes. And do you know what happened?
Voice 2
Well, in this community the death rate for babies dropped. When the project started, thirteen percent of babies would die. After the community finished, the death rate dropped to just four percent! The new toilet system helped to save some of the most helpless¹⁴ members of the community - babies!
Voice 1
Other communities have experienced¹⁵ similar results. According to the United Nations, communities with more toilets experience less disease. The rates of food poisoning, diarrhoea, cholera and typhus have dropped in these communities.
Voice 2
So, the next time you flush¹⁶ think about how important that flush is!
Voice 1
Would you like to learn more about toilets and the World Toilet Summit? Would you like to get involved in providing toilets for people who do not have one? Please look to the script¹⁷ page for this program on our website. There, you will find links to websites that can help get you involved.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

3 organisms   

n.有机物( organism的名词复数 )；有机体；生物；有机体系

参考例句：

• The organisms can be divided into discrete categories. 有机体可分为许多互不相联的种类。
• The cell is the unit of which all living organisms are composed. 细胞是构成一切生物的单位。

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

6 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

7 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

9 squat   

v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的

参考例句：

• For this exercise you need to get into a squat.在这次练习中你需要蹲下来。
• He is a squat man.他是一个矮胖的男人。

10 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

11 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 sewer   

n.排水沟，下水道

参考例句：

• They are tearing up the street to repair a sewer. 他们正挖开马路修下水道。
• The boy kicked a stone into the sewer. 那个男孩把一石子踢进了下水道。

14 helpless   

adj.无助的，无依无靠的；不能自力的

参考例句：

• The other team was helpless and we had a real field day.对方队很弱，我们轻易取胜。
• They felt helpless to do anything about it.他们对这事感到无能为力。

15 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

16 flush   

vi.奔流；vt.冲洗；adj.齐平的；n.脸色，脸红

参考例句：

• Father asked me to flush off the garage floor.父亲叫我冲洗车库的地板。
• There was a flush in her cheeks.她满脸通红。

17 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。