环球英语 — 336：Clean Water for All

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
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.
Voice 1
Everyone knows water is a basic part of human life. A person’s body weight is about sixty [60] percent water. Each day we use up the water in our bodies. And we need to replace it to survive. We can replace the water in our bodies by eating and drinking. But the best way is to drink clean water.
Voice 2
Usually when people have clean water, they do not think about the need for clean water. However, over one thousand million [1,000,000,000] people in the world do not have clean water. Many more people must travel very far distances to gather clean water each day. For these people, the need for clean water is great.
Voice 1
Dirty water can cause many problems. The World Health Organization says that eighty [80] percent of all sicknesses are caused by diseases³ from dirty water. Even more people suffer from sicknesses because they do not have enough water.
Voice 2
Lack of water also makes poverty⁴ worse. People without clean water spend a lot of time searching for clean water. Their search keeps them from working and going to school. Because they cannot spend as much time working or going to school, they do not earn as much money. And when dirty water causes disease², the disease can cost a family a lot of money too.
Voice 1
Muniamma is a forty [40] year old mother. She lives with her two children in MRS Palya, India. Her community just recently received clean water. They worked with a community based organization - AVAS. This group pushed the government to provide the water. And now, the water is changing the community. Muniamma shares what life was like before they had clean water. She says,
Voice 3
“Women used to travel three to five kilometres to gather water. To wash clothes, we had to start walking at one in the morning. We did without sleep. We were not able to send our children to school because they had to come with us to gather water.”
Voice 2
Muniamma’s story represents⁵ millions of people all over the world today. However, there is great hope for people without clean drinking water. Just like for Muniamma and the community of MRS Palya, receiving clean water is possible.
Voice 1
A 2005 New York Times story noted⁶ that people all over the world spend sixty four thousand million dollars [$64,000,000,000] on bottles of water each year. Many of the people buying this bottled water already have clean water supplies.
Voice 2
Governments and other groups are already spending a lot of money on developing⁷ clean water sources⁸. But the New York Times story also noted that if these groups had just one point seven thousand million dollars [$1,700,000,000] more each year, all people in the world could have a clean water supply.
Voice 1
What does this mean? First, it means⁹ that many people buy bottled water that they do not need. They already have clean water. Second, if a very small percent of those people would stop buying bottled water, they could save a lot of money. Instead, they could give that money to water organizations and help supply clean water to everyone.
Voice 2
Michael Norton is the writer of a book called “365 Ways to Change the World.” While writing this book, Michael learned¹⁰ about the issue¹¹ of clean water and bottled water. And he decided¹² to make a change.
Voice 1
Michael decided to stop drinking bottled water. Instead, he drinks water from the sink - tap water. Where he lives, this water is clean. Michael saves the money he would have spent on bottled water. He then gives the money to organizations that help supply people with clean water. However, Michael does not stop there. He has also decided to encourage everyone he meets to follow his example. He tells friends, family and his community. And he gives speeches to crowds all over the world.
Voice 2
Even if you do not drink bottled water, you can still help people get clean water in other small ways. You may remember a past Spotlight program on Ryan Hreljac. Ryan is a young boy from Canada. He learned about the many people who do not have clean water. He decided that he wanted to help. He worked with his family and friends. And he worked at small jobs to earn money. After many months, Ryan raised two thousand dollars [$2,000]. This was a lot of money for Ryan. But Ryan gave all the money to WaterCan. And they dug¹³ a new water well in Uganda, Africa.
Voice 1
Michael, and Ryan’s stories may seem amazing. However, they are people just like you. They started by making small changes in their lives. Michael stopped drinking bottled water. And Ryan decided to find extra work that he could do at home. The result was the same. They both raised money for clean water. And they were able to work with people like Muniamma and the community of MRS Payla. Muniamma says,
Voice 3
“Before, we could not send our children to school because they had to gather water at night ... Today, the children go to school each day and they are doing well.”
Voice 2
There are many organizations that work to supply water to communities like MRS Palya. A United¹⁴ Nations’ Water organization is responsible¹⁵ for helping¹⁶ bring clean water to all people. They have made a goal to decrease, by half, the number of people with no clean water. They hope to achieve this goal by the year 2015.
Voice 1
However, organizations like the United Nations, WaterCan, AVAS and many others could do more if people helped in little ways. In fact, if people worked together, they could help all people have clean water more quickly.
Voice 2
In the Christian¹⁷ Bible¹⁸, there is a story about those who are thirsty - they do not have anything to drink. The story encourages all people to help those who are thirsty - even those people they do not know. The story explains that if people give water to someone who is thirsty, it is like they are serving God directly¹⁹.
Voice 1
So, what can you do to help the thirsty? Who can you tell about the many people who need clean water? If you have an idea or story about the need for clean water, we would love to hear it. You can e-mail us 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 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。

3 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。

4 poverty   

n.贫穷， 贫困， 贫乏， 缺少

参考例句：

• We must continue to war against poverty and disease.我们一定要继续同贫穷和疾病作斗争。
• He showed his poverty in his knowledge of agriculture.他表现出缺乏对农业知识的了解。

5 Represents   

v.表现( represent的第三人称单数 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• This represents a volte-face in government thinking. 这代表着政府观点的彻底转变。
• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history. 俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

8 sources   

原因( source的名词复数 )； [物理学]源； 来源； 起源

参考例句：

• Government sources denied there had been a deliberate cover-up. 政府方面否认了有故意掩饰的行为。
• renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power 像风力和太阳能这种用之不竭的能源

9 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

10 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

11 issue   

n.出版，发行，（报刊等）期、号，论点，问题，结果， （水，血等的）流出；vt.使流出，放出，发行（钞票等），发布（命令），出版（书等）发给；vi.发行，流出，造成...结果，进行辩护，传下

参考例句：

• I bought the book the day after its issue.这书出版后的第一天，我就去买了它。
• I'll support her down the line on that issue.在那个问题上我将全力支持她。

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 dug   

n.动物的乳房[乳头]v.挖，掘( dig的过去式和过去分词 )；（如用铲、锨或推土机等）挖掘；挖得；寻找

参考例句：

• He dug a deep hole in the garden. 他在花园里挖了个深坑。
• We dug a deep pit in the yard. 我们在院子中挖了个深洞。

14 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。

15 responsible   

adj.有责任的，应负责的；可靠的，可信赖的；责任重大的；vi.休息，睡；静止，停止

参考例句：

• He must be responsible to me for this matter.这件事他必须对我负责。
• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。

16 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。

17 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

18 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

19 directly   

adv.直接地，径直地；马上，立即

参考例句：

• I will telephone you directly I hear the news.我一听到消息，马上打电话给你。
• She answered me very directly and openly.她非常坦率地、开门见山地答复了我。