环球英语 — 219：Writing Against Corruption

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“Corruption³ is a universal and never ending disease⁴, a real cancer of our countries. We have to fight it with prevention and education. Sometimes we are only surrounding the problem, not attacking it.”
Voice 1
These are the ideas of a young man from Uruguay. He was one of the thousands of young people who entered the 2007 International Essay Competition. Every year, the World Bank organizes the International Essay Competition. This competition asks young people to share their ideas with the world. To take part, young people write long essays on a particular subject. These young people are from many different countries. And they have many great ideas about improving their communities, countries, and the whole world! Today’s Spotlight is on this year’s International Essay Competition.
Voice 2
The World Bank and eleven [11] other international groups organized and supported the competition. All of these groups believe that young people are very important!
Voice 1
Competition organizers know that young people are the future leaders of the world. And young people are already changing their world for the better. But competition organizers also believe that people do not always see what these young people are doing. And often, people do not listen to the ideas of young people. This is the reason the World Bank, and other groups, have launched⁵ the International Essay Competition. They want to learn from young people around the world.
Voice 2
The International Essay Competition happens every year. Every year there is a different subject, or topic. This year young people wrote about the topic of corruption. Essay organizers asked young people: How does corruption affect your life? And what can you do to fight the corruption that you face?
Voice 1
Corruption is a worldwide problem. And it takes many forms. In general, corruption happens when government officials use their power to influence the government for personal profit. Any kind of government can become influenced and affected⁶ by corruption. And many people are concerned about the problem of corruption in their countries.
So, what did young people have to say about corruption?
Voice 2
Young people from over one hundred thirty [130] countries entered essays in the competition. The highest number of entries came from Nigeria, Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Colombia. Ninety [90] percent of the essays came from developing countries.
Voice 1
Many of the essays had common ideas about corruption. Many young people believe that their countries are corrupt². They do not experience the corruption directly. But they see the effects of it in their everyday lives. One essay writer from Nepal wrote:
Voice 4
“Corruption does not affect my life. Nor does it affect anyone else’s life for that matter. I say this for the very reason that corruption has become part of our everyday life. In fact, it has become a basic part of our life. It has conquered⁷ and defeated us just like that.”
Voice 1
Many young people believe that it is common for a person to offer a bribe⁸ to get what they want or need. A government official will accept this bribe, or money, to do a particular thing. Sadly, many people all over the world believe this is necessary to get what they need. A writer from Zimbabwe said:
Voice 3
“My survival⁹ depends on working with corrupt people.”
Voice 1
In their essays, young people described many ways that corruption and bribes¹⁰ were common. How many of these situations have you experienced¹¹ in your everyday life?
Voice 2
Have you ever paid a teacher to pass a test?
Voice 1
Have you ever had to bribe a doctor to get basic hospital care?
Voice 2
Do you need to give money to a policeman to avoid a fine or to pass a checkpoint?
Voice 1
Many essay writers have experienced situations like these. These are examples of corruption. Corruption is a crime.
Voice 2
But who is to blame? Who takes part in corruption? Many essay writers believe that corruption involves many people. Corruption involves the person who takes the bribe. It involves the person who gives the bribe. But corruption also involves the person who sees the bribe and does not report it. The essay writers also agree that people should face corruption honestly.
Voice 1
Young people see their communities suffering because of corruption. Corruption can produce many bad results in a community. One writer from Macedonia agrees. The writer says there is an even greater danger from corruption. It is teaching¹² young people that corruption is normal and expected.
Voice 4
“The problem is much wider than giving your money away. What makes the problem so big is the fact that the young people are not taught on the true values. They are not taught to think about their future.”
Voice 2
An essay writer from Latvia compared corruption to rust¹³. This brown substance appears on iron when iron is near water too long. Rust destroys metal objects. The young writer says:
Voice 3
“Personally I associate corruption with rust. Rust is able to ruin the work of even the best machine. It appears while the machine is working, and slowly, invisibly¹⁴ steals every part in it. No one can see it working.”
Voice 1
So how can people solve the problem of corruption?
Young people’s essays call for reform on different levels of societies. Governments and leaders, whole communities, and individual people must all be involved in stopping corruption.
Voice 2
This was the main idea of one of the winners of the Essay Competition. Winners of the International Essay Competition presented their essays to a group of judges. First Prize winner Abdullah Abdulsalam Al–Thawr was from Yemen. During his presentation he said:
Voice 4
“Fighting corruption is not a simple task or a simple plan. Fighting corruption requires cooperative¹⁵ work to involve all people in the community. We will all agree that young people are tomorrow’s leaders. But I also believe that young people can make a change today. And I believe young people have the potential and strength to do the changes. So the question now is not what young people can do or what adults have already done. The real question is: how can we strengthen the partnership¹⁶ between us young people and adults to improve this relationship, to fight corruption together?”
Voice 1
What do you think? Does corruption influence your life? If it does, tell us how. What can people do to stop it? Email us your opinions at Radio @ English . net.
 

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 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

3 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。

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 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 conquered   

攻克( conquer的过去式和过去分词 )； 征服； 破除； 克服

参考例句：

• The Normans conquered England in 1066. 诺曼人于1066年征服了英格兰。
• The mines were manned by forced labour from conquered countries. 这些矿由来自被征服国家的强制劳工开采。

8 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

9 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

10 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

11 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。

12 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

13 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

14 invisibly   

adv.看不见地，无形地；无形中

参考例句：

• He had learnt how to melt invisibly into the background. 他已经学会如何退居幕后。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Where's the torn place?""It's been invisibly mended.” “哪儿破了？”“天衣无缝，补好了。” 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 cooperative   

adj.有合作意向的，合作的；n.合作社（企业）等

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• We decided to set up a cooperative.我们决定开办一家合作社。

16 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。