环球英语 — 403：Bicycles for Zambia

　　Voice 1
Welcome to 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.
Voice 1
Do you own a bicycle? These two-wheeled vehicles² are very useful. If you do own a bicycle, it is probably made of metal. And it was probably made in a big factory, far away from you. But it does not need to be this way. Today's Spotlight is on Zambikes, a business in Zambia that builds, maintains³ and sells bicycles.
Voice 2
Today, there are hundreds of millions of bicycles in the world. People use bicycles for fun. They use them for transportation⁴. They use them for exercise. But in some places of the world, it can be very difficult to get a bicycle. Bicycles cost a lot of money. And in some places there are no bicycles to buy.
Voice 1
Bicycles have many uses. But they are especially useful in poor areas of the world. People can use bicycles to move goods to market. They can take sick people to hospitals. They can bring medicines to homes at a low cost. Bicycles can go places that large trucks and cars cannot. And most important, bicycles never run out of fuel. For all these reasons, bicycles are very important in many African countries. Zambikes came from these simple facts.
Voice 2
As a university student, Vaughn Spethmann travelled to Zambia. His group taught at an elementary school. They helped at a home for children without parents. They played sports with the children, and with adults. When Vaughn went back to the United⁵ States, he continued to think about Zambia. He wanted to do more to help people there. Vaughn continued to study international business at university, but he also prayed. Vaughn is a Christian⁶. He asked God to help him use his skills to help people in Zambia. Vaughn tells how God answered his prayer⁷.
Voice 3
"Soon after my trip I was sitting in my car waiting for some friends. I was praying and God gave me this idea of how bicycles could make a huge difference in the developing⁸ world."
Voice 1
Vaughn and his friend Dustin started collecting money from people to buy bicycles. They bought bicycles in America and sent them to Zambia. They received a lot of help from other people in the United States and bought many bicycles. But Vaughn and Dustin realized that this was not the best way.
Voice 2
So Vaughn and Dustin started a group called Acirfa. Acirfa is Africa spelled backwards⁹. They named their group Acirfa because they wanted to turn Africa around. They wanted to make things better. After some time, Acirfa started working with people in Zambia to form a company called Zambikes.
Voice 1
Zambikes is a company to build bicycles in Zambia for the people of Zambia. Together, Acirfa and Zambikes worked with bicycle designers¹⁰ to make special bicycles for Zambia. The Zambikes bicycles are made for the rough¹¹ ground of Zambia. They have thick strong wheels. And the body of the bicycle is also very strong. The bicycles are easy to repair.
Voice 2
Acirfa and Zambikes started working with other local groups in Zambia. They gave jobs to young people who used to live on the streets. They taught them how to make and repair the bicycles. These workers were learning¹² important job skills.
Voice 1
Zambikes does not just sell bicycles. It also offers other bicycle vehicles. The first of these is the Zambulance. The Zambulance is a like a bed with two large bicycle wheels. It connects to the back of a bicycle. With the Zambulance, a bicycle rider¹³ can bring a sick person to the hospital. Getting sick people to hospitals can be difficult. A sick person cannot ride a bicycle. And in country areas, cars are too costly¹⁴ to do this job. But a Zambulance is much less costly, and can take a sick person easily. Acirfa says that the Zambulance saves a life every nine days it is used.
Voice 2
The newest project of Acirfa and Zambikes is the bamboo bicycle. It started with a man in California¹⁵. Craig Calfee was researching ways to make strong bicycles out of the bamboo plant. This plant grows all around the world. Bamboo is like a small tree, but it grows very quickly. For this reason, using bamboo is healthier for the environment. And bamboo is very strong. Craig started building bicycle bodies out of bamboo in Ghana. He wanted to build the bicycle bodies in Africa and sell them to people in the United States.
Voice 1
Soon, Craig heard about Zambikes and the work they were doing. The Zambikes team was very excited about the idea of this new business. Bamboo grows all over Zambia. It was a perfect idea for their company. So they created a special area to build these bamboo bicycles in Zambia.
Voice 2
The workers connect pieces of bamboo with natural plant materials grown in the area. It takes about one week to make one bamboo bicycle body. The bicycle frames¹⁶ are then sent to the United States where the wheels and pedals¹⁷ are put on. People in Europe and the North America buy these bicycles, and the money goes back to the Zambike project.
Voice 1
Zambikes is more than just a bicycle company. The group gives people jobs, and training. They help workers start their own businesses. And the bicycles are changing people's lives. Families can spend more time together because less time is spent travelling. Religious¹⁸ leaders are able to visit with people to help them spiritually¹⁹. Medical workers can visit sick people faster, and the sick can visit the hospital more easily.
Voice 2
Dennis and Patrick are an example of the great success of Acirfa and Zambikes. These two workers trained with Zambikes. Then they took a small loan²⁰ of six dollars to start their own business. They used a Zambike and cart²¹ to move goods from a small village to a larger town. In three weeks they had paid back the loan and made one hundred sixty [160] dollars. With this money, they both bought farms.
Voice 1
These are the kind of effects that just one bicycle can have in a person's life. Better health. Jobs. Good bicycles. A healthier world. All of these things are happening, one bicycle at a time.
 

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 vehicles   

n.运载工具；传播媒介；（为展露演员才华而）特意编写的一出戏（或电影等）；[画]展色剂；交通工具( vehicle的名词复数 )；车辆；传播媒介；手段

参考例句：

• There is not much clearance for vehicles passing under this bridge. 车辆在这座桥下通过时没有多少余隙。
• to carry out random spot checks on vehicles 对车辆进行抽检

3 maintains   

保持( maintain的第三人称单数 )； 保养； 坚持； 保卫

参考例句：

• The country maintains military bases on foreign soil. 那个国家在国外设有军事基地。
• She maintains that the accusation is groundless. 她坚持该指控是毫无根据的。

4 transportation   

n.运输，运输系统，运输工具

参考例句：

• The transportation of goods by air costs a lot.航空运输货物花费很高。
• He finally solved the difficulty of transportation.他终于解决了运输的困难。

5 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。

6 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。

7 prayer   

n.祈祷，祈求，请求，恳求；祷文，祷告者，恳求者

参考例句：

• We heard the calling of the bells to prayer.我们听见了召唤祈祷的钟声。
• Everyone in church knelt in prayer.教堂里每个人都跪着祈祷。

8 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。

9 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

10 designers   

n.设计师( designer的名词复数 )；图案设计师；打样师；制图员

参考例句：

• Have you seen that article about young fashion designers? 你见到了关于年轻时装设计师的那篇文章没有？
• Every moment of the fashion industry's misery is richly deserved by the designers and magazine poltroons who perpetuate this absurd creation. 时装工业每一个痛苦的时刻都是完全应该被时装设计师们…和那些使这种荒诞创造永久化的杂志懦夫领受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 rough   

adj.粗糙的；粗略的，大致的；粗野的，粗暴的

参考例句：

• It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
• His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。

12 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。

13 rider   

n.骑士，附件，扶手

参考例句：

• The rider forced his horse on through the storm.骑手在暴风雨中策马前进。
• The jury added a rider to their verdict recommending mercy.陪审团在裁决后加了一条建议宽恕的附文。

14 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

15 California   

n.加利福尼亚(美国)

参考例句：

• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
• We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。

16 frames   

n.框架( frame的名词复数 )；眼镜框；组织；边框

参考例句：

• roughly hewn timber frames 粗劈成的木架子
• The window frames had begun to warp. 窗框已经开始变形。

17 pedals   

n.（自行车或其他机器的）踏板( pedal的名词复数 )；脚蹬子；（钢琴、风琴等的）踏板；踏瓣

参考例句：

• I couldn't reach the pedals on her bike. 我骑她的车够不到脚蹬子。
• The pedals of a cycle are attached to a crank. 自行车的踏板与曲柄相连。 来自辞典例句

18 religious   

adj.宗教性的，虔诚的，宗教上的；n.修道士，出家人

参考例句：

• She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚，每个星期天都上教堂。
• It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。

19 spiritually   

adv.在精神上地

参考例句：

• They were supported by us both materially and spiritually. 他们既得到了我们的物质上的支持也得到我们精神上的声援。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The New Woman must become truly self-sufficient, spiritually, emotionally. 新女性在精神上、情感上都必须真正有自信。 来自辞典例句

20 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

21 cart   

n.（二轮或四轮）运货马车，手推车；vt.用马车装载，用手提（笨重物品），强行带走

参考例句：

• We use this to cart the goods.我们用这个来拉运货物。
• Let's go over and help them pull the cart.咱们过去帮他们拉车。