环球英语 — 194：A Widow’s Tears

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Tony Ford¹.
Voice 3
I’m Peter Phillips.
Voice 2
And I’m Mike Procter. Welcome to Spotlight². This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
A woman sits quietly making a blanket. Her dry, cracked³ hands work quickly. She slowly looks up. Her dark eyes fill with tears. She does not even notice the village or people around her. She cannot stop thinking about her husband and her sons. She looks back down at her work.
Bibi Sherin lives in Khoistan, Afghanistan. This place was on the front line of many battles. And Bibi and her family experienced⁴ a hard life because of this. Bibi was married for six years. She had four strong sons with her husband. But her husband died in a battle with the Russians. Women whose husbands die - widows⁵ - have a difficult life in Afghanistan. Bibi did not know what to do. How would she support her sons?
Bibi took any work she could find. She cooked for other people. She washed clothes for them. But most people in the village were poor too. They could not pay her very much. Many nights Bibi and her boys went to bed cold and hungry.
Bibi’s sons got older. They could not go to school because of all the battles happening around them. But they were able to work to help their mother. Things got worse for Bibi when the Taliban took control of much of Afghanistan. However, some fighters in Bibi’s area resisted⁶ the Taliban. Again, her village was on the front line of the struggle. Bibi feared for the safety of her sons.
Then her worst fears came true. The Taliban arrived in her village. They killed many villagers. And they also killed Bibi’s sons. They cut off her sons’ heads. They did this in front of her house. She had to bury her sons by herself. She did not understand why they were killed. They were just farmers. They were not trying to fight against anyone.
Bibi is only forty-six [46] years old. However, she looks much older. She is all alone. She only has memories of her family to lessen⁷ the pain.
Voice 1
Bibi is not the only woman in this situation. There are hundreds of thousands of widows like her in Afghanistan. The United⁸ Nations reports that in the capital city of Kabul alone there are between thirty thousand [30,000] and fifty thousand [50,000] widows. And over ninety [90] percent of these women have children.
Voice 2
In Afghan culture, men rarely⁹ marry widows. In the past, the extended¹⁰ family would take care of widows and their children. But now there is a problem. Too many men died in the different wars to permit¹¹ this to happen. Most families just do not have enough money to care for these widows. The widows feel great shame. They know everyone in their village sees them differently. So they often move to big cities like Kabul. Here they look for jobs. Some carry building materials all day long. The work is very hard. Other widows find jobs such as washing clothes. And some work in bakeries making bread. But many are forced to sit on the streets begging for money. Their faces are covered. They hold their hands out. They only make enough to buy bread. And their whole diet often consists of bread and tea.
Voice 1
When widows move to cities, they find shelter¹² in buildings that have been left empty. They have no heat, no water, no electricity. In winter the temperature can drop to seventeen [17] degrees Celsius¹³ below zero. Many of these buildings belong to men who fled¹⁴ to Pakistan and Iran. But some owners are returning to Afghanistan and claiming their property¹⁵. So the widows living there will have nowhere to go. Sometimes the widows’ problems seem impossible to solve.
Voice 2
Many experts believe that education and job training programmes are the solution. Some aid organisations are training women with new job skills. Other organisations help women to get small loans¹⁶ to start businesses. The group Afghan Renascent¹⁷ Youth Association¹⁸, or ARYA, is one group trying to help. Two Afghani cousins started ARYA. They were very concerned about the situation of the widows. ARYA employs teachers to teach the widows to read. It also employs widows to make blankets for children without parents. ARYA is the group that helped Bibi. She makes blankets for ARYA. And ARYA pays her a fair price. Bibi now has some hope for the future.
Voice 1
The future can be better for most women if they go to school at any early age. Experts agree that more girls in Afghanistan need to go to school. However, education costs money. And countries that promised money to Afghanistan are being slow to give that aid. Also, some men in Afghanistan do not believe that girls should go to school. They feel a woman’s duty should be to take care of the home. Sometimes these men even attack and burn schools - especially schools for girls.
Voice 2
The Afghan government is taking steps to make sure women are given more rights. In 2001 it created a government office called the Ministry¹⁹ of Women’s Affairs. The Ministry is trying to improve the lives of women through government policies²⁰. In 2006 the Ministry helped to develop an Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan. The plan is to help women become leaders, to train all government officials about women’s issues²¹, and to help women get jobs in every part of public life. This action plan aims to reach its goals by the year 2010.
Voice 1
Another positive step was the Afghan Constitution²² of 2004. It promises equal rights to both men and women. And it states that women should make up twenty-five [25] percent of the parliament²³. These seats must even remain empty until women are elected. Within the parliament, politicians²⁴ - both men and women - are learning²⁵ more about women’s issues. Women’s groups are meeting with them to talk about the needs and concerns of women. The hope is that parliament will make laws to better protect women and their rights.
Voice 2
Sometimes change takes a long time. Afghanistan is a country that has been through so much hardship²⁶. Its people are trying to recover from years of conflict²⁷. They are hoping for a better future. The most helpless²⁸ among them - widows and their children - are waiting to see if anyone remembers the promises to help them. And all women are waiting for the promise of equal rights to become a reality.
 

1 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

2 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。

3 cracked   

adj.有裂缝的；声音沙哑的；精神失常的v.破裂；崩溃(crack的过去分词)；发沙哑声

参考例句：

• The ice cracked as I stepped onto it. 我一踩冰就裂了。
• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。

4 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。

5 widows   

n.寡妇，遗孀( widow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are financiers who spoiled widows of their money. 他们是掠夺寡妇钱财的金融家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Widows were forbidden to remarry and were stoned to death if they did. 过去寡妇是不允许重新嫁人的，否则，就要被乱石砸死。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 resisted   

抵抗，抗拒（resist的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The city resisted the enemy onslaught for two weeks. 这个城市反抗敌人的猛攻达两个星期之久。
• I should congratulate you that you resisted the temptation. 我应向你祝贺，你抗住了这种引诱。

7 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

8 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

9 rarely   

adv.很少，难得；非常地，非凡地

参考例句：

• Such fish is rarely met with in the north country.这种鱼在北方难得看到。
• He rarely comes here anymore.现在他难得来这儿了。

10 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 permit   

n.许可证，许可，执照；vt.允许，容许；vi.容许

参考例句：

• The doctor will not permit mother up until her leg is better.在母亲的腿好些之前,医生不允许她起床。
• The soldiers had orders to permit no stranger through.士兵们接到命令不许任何陌生人通过。

12 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

13 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

14 fled   

v.逃走，逃掉( flee的过去式和过去分词 )；逃离，逃避

参考例句：

• The robbers fled empty-handed. 抢劫犯一无所获地逃走了。
• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 property   

n.财产，所有物，所有权，性质，特性，（小）道具

参考例句：

• He has made over his property to a hospital.他已将财产转交给了一家医院。
• Oil has the property of floating on water.油有浮在水上的特性。

16 loans   

n.借出物，借款( loan的名词复数 )v.借出，贷与（尤指钱）( loan的第三人称单数 )；出借（贵重物品给博物馆等）

参考例句：

• They are offering loans at extortionate rates of interest. 他们在放高利贷。
• Government loans have been the salvation of several shaky business companies. 政府的贷款救活了几家濒临倒闭的公司。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 renascent   

adj.新生的

参考例句：

• Jesus makes them renascent then, and turns them into wanted appearance.耶稣于是让他们复活，变成他们想要的样子。
• With the elevation of the integrated power of China, nationalism turns to renascent tendency.随着中国综合实力的提升，民族主义呈复兴之势。

18 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

19 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

20 policies   

n.政策( policy的名词复数 )；策略；政府；策略性

参考例句：

• The Chancellor was forced into a humiliating climbdown on his economic policies. 财政大臣被迫狼狈地承认他的经济政策存在失误。
• an angry denunciation of the government's policies 愤怒谴责政府的政策

21 issues   

（水等的）流出( issue的名词复数 )； 出口； 放出； （特别重要或大众关注的）问题

参考例句：

• Let's start with the more easily addressable issues. 我们先从较容易处理的问题着手。
• Employment and taxation are the bread-and-butter issues of politics. 就业和征税是很重要的政治问题。

22 constitution   

n.宪法；体格，体质；构成，构造，组成

参考例句：

• He was responsible for the constitution of a new committee.他负责组成一个新的委员会。
• The constitution guards the liberty of people.宪法保障人民的自由。

23 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

24 politicians   

政治家( politician的名词复数 )； 政客，玩弄权术者

参考例句：

• Politicians are ultimately accountable to the voters. 从政者最终是向选民负责。
• backstairs deals between politicians 政客之间的幕后交易

25 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。

26 hardship   

n.受苦，吃苦；苦难，困苦

参考例句：

• He was willing to face any hardship in fulfillment of his duty.他愿意面对任何困难去履行他的职责。
• If other people can endure hardship,why can't I?人家能吃苦，我就不能？

27 conflict   

n.冲突，矛盾，争执；vi.争执，撞斗，冲突，抵触

参考例句：

• Your statement is in conflict with the rest of the evidence.你的陈述同其余证据有矛盾。
• The conflict between them seems ceaseless.他们之间冲突似乎没个止息。

28 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。