环球英语 — 364：Oxfam in Cambodia

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Joshua Leo.
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 2
Pim Ranh lives in a small village in Cambodia. She works² hard to plant and harvest rice for her family. And she uses the river near her house to wash. But the river water is bad. Once, after washing, Pim developed a painful skin condition - a rash³. At the time, she was pregnant⁴. She worried that her skin problem would hurt her baby. So she travelled to a doctor for help. She learned⁵ that it was the water from the river that caused the problem. But Pim feels like there is nothing she can do. She told the aid group Oxfam,
Voice 3
“I do not have a well at home. Even if the river water looks dirty, I have to wash.”
Voice 1
Pim lives down the river from a dam. Many people in her area have similar problems. They experience stomach problems and skin problems.
Voice 2
Governments built these dams in the countries of Laos and Vietnam. But when people built the dams, they did not consider the effects on the people further down the river.
Voice 1
These dams change the quality of the water in the river. Because of the dams, many kinds of fish have died. And the river floods more often. These floods also destroy fields of rice.
Voice 2
But it is not just the rivers that are affecting people’s lives. The villagers also depend on the forests. But the forests are also being damaged and stolen. The villagers have lived on this land for many years. They use the forest to live. But the government has sold this land. Guards with guns threaten the villagers if they return to it. Thousands of villagers must find new places to find food.
Voice 1
The people who live in these hills feel alone - they feel that they do not have any power over their lives. But this is not true. And international aid group Oxfam is working to change this opinion.
Voice 2
In Cambodia, Oxfam works with local groups, including the group 3 S Rivers Protection Network. This group teaches the villagers to keep records. The people keep records of which kinds of fish are dying⁶. They record how quickly the waters rise, and which plants are being killed.
Voice 1
Then, with the aid groups, the villagers use this information for change. The villagers can write to the government and to businesses. They can show the damage to their area. And they can influence policy decisions. Because of the villagers’ work, both the Vietnam and Cambodian governments have agreed to reduce the effects of development on rivers and forests.
Voice 2
But Oxfam does more than just teach villagers to keep records. This is part of a larger goal, called sustainable livelihood⁷.
Voice 1
Sustainable livelihood means helping⁸ the villagers to continue living a good life. Villagers in Cambodia depend on the natural resources of the country. They depend on the land for growing rice. They depend on the rivers for fish. And they depend on the forests for many other products. Oxfam works to protect these natural resources so people can continue to use them.
Voice 2
Oxfam makes sure that there are laws to protect the needs of poor people. It makes sure that villagers can use these natural resources. And the group teaches the villagers how to best use these resources. They look for ways to protect the environment together.
Voice 1
Finally, sustainable livelihood also means good farming practices. Oxfam helps the villagers get enough money for the rice they grow and the products they sell. And they share new farming methods too. Oxfam trains some local people. Then these local people work with their communities to teach the new methods.
Voice 2
Yorn Yee is one of these workers. She is also a rice farmer. She travels to Keok Duong village to teach other farmers new ways of growing rice.
Voice 1
Before, the farmers used harmful chemicals to help the rice grow. These chemicals cost money. But Yorn Yee teaches the farmers how to make natural, safe fertilizers⁹ and pesticides¹⁰. The farmers can make these products without spending money.
Voice 2
Neang Veach learned many new farming skills from Yorn. Mr. Veach used to throw rice seeds across the land. Some of these seeds would then grow into rice plants. But some did not. And this method did not always work well. Today, he uses a new method that he learned from Yorn.
Voice 1
Mr. Veach grows each plant individually. He plants the seeds very carefully. Once the rice plants start to grow, he moves them to his field. He is very careful. He does not want to damage the plant roots. The small rice plant splits¹² off into many branches as it grows. It produces much more rice.
Voice 2
This method of rice farming requires more work, but it uses much less seed. Mr. Veach’s old method of growing used about five kilograms of seeds, but this new method uses only two hundred grams! Teack Voeut is another farmer in the area. She told Oxfam,
Voice 3
“At first I did not believe that a single rice plant could split¹¹ into so many branches, but we tried it anyway. The result is amazing! We made enough profit from selling our rice to pay off our debt.”
Voice 1
This is just one story of success from the work of Oxfam. Oxfam works in many areas to help people. They work for good laws in Cambodia, and around the world. They work for better trade policies between countries. They work to reduce guns and violence. They work to encourage equality between men and women. They work to protect people from natural disasters, and they work to help people after natural disasters. They work for education for all children. They work to build and encourage communities. But why does Oxfam do all this work to fight poverty? The answer is on the group’s website. It says:
Voice 2
‘Belief - belief that in a wealthy world, poverty is inexcusable and it can be prevented. Belief that injustice¹³ and unfairness must be challenged. And belief that with the right help, poor people themselves can change their lives for the better, forever.’
 

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 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 rash   

adj.轻率的；n.（皮）疹，爆发的一连串

参考例句：

• My skin has broken out in an itchy rash.我的皮肤上突然长出一片让人发痒的皮疹。
• Don't be rash in making your decision.别轻率做出决定。

4 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

5 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。

6 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

7 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

8 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。

9 fertilizers   

肥料，化肥( fertilizer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the long-term effects of fertilizers 肥料的长远影响
• Crushed bones make one of the best fertilizers. 骨粉是最佳肥料之一。

10 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

12 splits   

劈叉； 划分( split的名词复数 )； 分歧； 裂缝； 劈叉

参考例句：

• The river splits into three smaller streams at this point. 这条河在此处分成三条小河。
• Usually only a trained dancer can do the splits. 通常只有训练有素的舞蹈演员才会劈叉。

13 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。