英语听力—环球英语 830 Conflict, Part 3: Intervention and Peace Building

　　Voice 1
Hello, and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I'm Steve Myersco. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Ancient Judea - the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. A Jewish² man is walking along this dangerous way. Suddenly, some robbers³ attack the Jew and take everything he has. They beat him and leave him almost dead on the road.
A short time later, a Jewish priest⁴ walks down the same road. He sees the man, but walks past him on the other side of the road. More time passes. Then a Jewish temple worker, a Levite, comes along. He too looks at the man. Then, he too, crosses to the other side of the road and walks away.
Next, a Samaritan man comes along the road. Like the Jewish priest and Levite, the Samaritan man sees the beaten Jew. At that time, Jews and Samaritans hated each other. But, when he sees the injured man, the Samaritan feels bad for him. So, he walks over to the man and cares for his wounds. Then he puts the man on his donkey⁵ and takes him to a hotel. The Samaritan asks the owner to care for the injured man. He explains that he has to continue travelling. But he will leave some money to pay for medicine and food for the injured man.
Voice 2
This story is from the Christian⁶ holy book, the Bible⁷. And it is Jesus who told this story. People were asking him how they could be sure of spending the rest of their lives with God. Jesus answered them with his own question: what does God's law say?
‘Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. And love your neighbour as you love yourself,' they answered. But one person listening was not satisfied. ‘Who is my neighbour - the person near me?" he asked. Jesus then told the story of the Good Samaritan.
Voice 1
"Who is my neighbour?" Peter Dixon has spent a lot of time thinking about this question. Peter was once a pilot in the British Royal Air Force. From there, he worked for the British government in training and management. Now, he leads a small aid organization called Concordis International. It aims to help individuals and groups in conflict situations to work together to bring lasting⁸ peace. For Peter, the story of the Good Samaritan helps him to better understand the nature of the difficult work he does. He says:
Voice 3
"We can note why the Samaritan helps the injured victim. He helps him because he just happens to be passing by. He does not seek him out. However, when he sees the problem, he does what he can. And he does not try to do it all alone either. He uses his wealth to leave behind some resources with the hotel owner. This will help to meet the victim's needs in the longer term."
Voice 1
However, Peter Dixon continues:
Voice 3
"Maybe I am giving this simple story a deeper meaning than it really has! And our own world today is very different from the Samaritan's. We have mass communication. We see pictures of people suffering. This is very different from someone walking along the road and discovering a victim. But I do not think any one of us should feel responsible for putting right all the wrong in the world - like a superhero! We should do what we can, where we can, when we can."
Voice 2
Peter Dixon is a Christian. And his faith has moved him to ‘do what he can' for people in need. And this is why he works⁹ for Concordis. He explains:
Voice 3
"The urgent¹⁰ need to help suffering people is a major part of our faith's concern for the poor. It does not just mean providing aid or systems that will help things work better...if we can prevent or stop violent conflict or work towards building peace - surely it is our duty to do so?"
Voice 1
So, what does Peter Dixon and Concordis do, exactly? Lucian Harriman is research manager at Concordis International. He explains:
Voice 4
"We organize unofficial talks between different groups of people. These people are either directly involved in an armed conflict or they are affected¹¹ by it. We bring them together in a safe, neutral¹² place. There, they can discuss their situations in a positive way. They can discuss the issues and common problems that lead to the fighting."
Voice 2
One of the countries where Concordis is working is Sudan. Civil war between the north and the south lasted for over 20 years. It was Africa's longest civil war. People in the north are mainly Moslem¹³, in the south most people are Christian or follow traditional religions. In 2005, leaders from both sides signed a peace agreement. Lucian Harriman explains the work of Concordis in Sudan:
Voice 4
"We are working with a Sudanese organization. It brings Muslim and Christian leaders together. They discuss how they can all be involved in building peace in Sudan - how they can be effective as religious leaders to prevent fighting".
Voice 2
In recent years another conflict has grown in the west of Sudan - in Darfur. The UN and the African Union sent a peace-keeping force there. But they have so far had little success in bringing an end to the conflict. Concordis is a much, much smaller organisation¹⁴ than the UN, but it says it is continuing its work to build peace in the region¹⁵.
Voice 1
Concordis' Lucian Harriman admits that there are no easy ways to end a conflict. He says:
Voice 4
"The kind of work that we do...is not going to solve everything...but we are creating a space that makes peace negotiations¹⁶ possible. This enables¹⁷ a different kind of discussion¹⁸ between groups who may not be talking to each other...we do not have the resources or desire to change the situation through force. So our weakness is a sort of strength. People are prepared to listen to us. They do not see us as a threat...they trust us."
Voice 2
Concordis International members are working to build healthy relationships across barriers. For them, good relationships are the key to social, economic and individual well-being¹⁹. If you care for your neighbour, you will be less likely to fight against him. Only then can peace come - lasting peace. It seems that the message of the Good Samaritan still has something to say to us today.
 

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 Jewish   

adj.犹太人的，犹太民族的

参考例句：

• The coin bears a Jewish symbol.硬币上有犹太标记。
• They were two Jewish kids;I was friendly with both of them.他们是两个犹太小孩；我同他们都很要好。

3 robbers   

n.抢劫者，强盗，盗贼( robber的名词复数 )；盗匪

参考例句：

• The robbers fled empty-handed. 抢劫犯一无所获地逃走了。
• The policeman discharged his gun at the fleeing robbers. 警察向逃跑的强盗开了枪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

5 donkey   

n.驴子；蠢人；顽固的人

参考例句：

• This donkey can carry two sacks of grain.这头驴能驮两袋粮食。
• "I'll buy your donkey,"said the two.“我想要买你的驴子”两人异口同声说。

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 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。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 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。

10 urgent   

a.紧急的，急迫的，紧要的

参考例句：

• He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
• A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。

11 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。

12 neutral   

adj.中立的，不偏不倚的；中性的

参考例句：

• Behaviour is never culturally neutral.人的行为从来都受文化的影响。
• They have maintained a consistently neutral stance.他们一直持中立态度。

13 Moslem   

n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的

参考例句：

• Moslem women used to veil their faces before going into public.信回教的妇女出门之前往往用面纱把脸遮起来。
• If possible every Moslem must make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in his life.如有可能，每个回教徒一生中必须去麦加朝觐一次。

14 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

15 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

16 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

17 enables   

v.使能够，提供做…的权利[措施]( enable的第三人称单数 )；使可能

参考例句：

• The software enables you to access the Internet in seconds. 这种软件使你在几秒钟内便可访问互联网。
• This pass enables me to travel half-price on trains. 我用这张通行证可以半价乘火车。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

19 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。