环球英语 — 280：Girl Child Network

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Today’s Spotlight is on the girl child.
Voice 1
In a rural area in the country of Zimbabwe in Africa, something very important is happening. A group called the Girl Child Network is acting² out a play. Many people have gathered to watch the play. Men, women, and children have come. They want to hear what the people from the Girl Child Network have to say.
Voice 2
The play involves a man with HIV and a traditional healer. The man visits the healer. He asks the healer how he can be cured of HIV. But the healer gives the man very bad information. The healer tells him that he should have sex with a young female virgin³. The healer says that the virgin’s clean blood will cure him of his HIV.
Voice 1
Many of the people in this area have heard this idea before. But this idea is not true. So, at the end of the play the people of the Girl Child Network explain the truth about HIV. That is, there is no cure for HIV. In fact, forcing anyone, including young girls, to have sex is rape⁴. And rape is a crime.
Voice 2
After the play is finished, a few young girls come forward. They share their stories with the crowd. The first young girl is only eight years old. Her father raped⁵ her when she was two. Now she is an orphan⁶. Both of her parents have died. Her father died in prison.
Voice 1
The second girl is fourteen. Her uncle raped her and she became pregnant. Her aunt forced her to leave the home. This young girl was very afraid. So she had an abortion⁷, killing⁸ the baby inside of her. She admits that she has been very sick ever since the abortion. These two girls now stay in a building owned by the Girl Child Network.
Voice 2
The leader of the Girl Child Network is Betty Makoni. She was pleased with the play. No one in the crowd claimed responsibility for the raping⁹ of young girls. But Ms. Makoni felt that the meeting was a step forward. She said that many people learned that having sex with a virgin cannot cure HIV. She hopes that the raping of young girls will stop in this community.
Voice 1
The Girl Child Network started in 1999. Betty Makoni visited a school. She met with some of the girls attending the school. They discussed issues that were affecting the girls’ lives from day to day. The result of the discussion was a sad reality. Many of the girls’ human rights had been violated. Some of them had been raped. Some of them were beaten. Some of them were denied food.
Voice 2
Ms. Makoni felt that something had to be done. So, she created the Girl Child Network. Today this group addresses the problems of the girl child all over Zimbabwe. The group offers girls a safe place to live, to learn, and to grow. The people working with the Girl Child Network have empowered many young girls.
Voice 1
But why focus on the girl child? While it is true that both boys and girls can suffer, the girl child often faces greater problems. Here, a few facts from the website girlsrights.org. This group collected many of their facts from the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Voice 3
Violence against girls takes many forms. These forms include denied food, denied education, denied health care, denied employment, rape, and slavery.
Voice 4
In areas where people are poor, seventy [70] percent of the poor are women and girls.
Voice 3
Currently, fifty [50] percent of all new HIV and AIDS sufferers are young people. And over sixty [60] percent of them are girls.
Voice 4
In some areas of the world there are one hundred men for every five women. That is a result of violence towards women - the death of many women, young girls and female babies.
Voice 3
Two million [2,000,000] girls between ages five and fifteen are forced into sex work.
Voice 4
One hundred twenty million [120,000,000] women have had some form of female genital mutilation. Their female sex organs were cut and damaged.
Voice 3
Each year more than fifteen million [15,000,000] girls aged¹⁰ fifteen to nineteen have babies. This is a result of early marriage, and rape. This affects their education and employment. Early pregnancy¹¹ can have a poor effect on a young girl’s future.
Voice 1
The Girl Child Network would like to see a world where girls have power and can enjoy their human rights in the home, at school, and in the community. The group would like to see whole communities supporting their young girls. The Girl Child Network’s goal is to protect and encourage the rights of the girl child.
Voice 2
The Girl Child Network has created special programs aimed at young girls. Through these programs the group is starting to reach its goals. First, the group has created over three hundred clubs in Zimbabwe. At the clubs girls can discuss their issues. They can break their silence about being raped. They can learn about their human rights. And they can learn important life skills.
Voice 1
Second, the Girl Child Network works on changing laws. People representing the group will talk to government officials. Together they work on changing laws and policies that will help protect girl children.
Voice 2
Third, the group provides twenty-four hour emergency services to abused girls in some areas. People from the Girl Child Network help these girls talk to the police. They also help young girls find safe shelters.
Voice 1
The Girl Child Network also works in communities around Zimbabwe. The group trains citizens about the rights of young girls. These citizens can then work against any abuse that happens in their communities. The group also helps communities to start projects. The money from the projects goes towards education, clothes, and the other needs of young girls in the community.
Voice 2
Today we have learned about some of the struggles of the girl child. That is why the Girl Child Network is so important. Their ideas and programs are helping¹² girl children all over Zimbabwe.
Voice 1
But, there are girl children in other parts of the world that need help too. Who will help them? Individuals and communities have a duty to protect the children in their areas. Today, the Girl Child Network provided us with some good ideas. Hopefully girl children all over the world will be loved and protected.
 

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 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

4 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

5 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

6 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

7 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

10 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

11 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

12 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。