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VOA慢速英语2013 AS IT IS - Women trying to compete in a “man’s” world

时间:2013-04-02 02:41:49

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AS IT IS - Women trying to compete in a “man’s” world

Hello. It is nice to be with you again.  I’m Jim Tedder1 in Washington.

Today we hear about some Africans who have moved to Moscow hoping for a better life.  Also a look inside the human body at trillions of tiny bugs2 that often are good for us.  But first a story about women trying to compete in a “man’s” world.

In the African nation of Sierra Leone, about 80 percent of all agricultural workers are women. Many are poor. While women have a right to work on farms, they often cannot own the land. But things are beginning to change. There are new efforts that give more power to women in rural areas.

Abibatu Sankoh operates this machine at a place called Mile 91 in northern Sierra Leone.  The device cleans rice before it is sold.  She says the machine helps her to work faster and sell more rice. She earns more money, and is now better able to feed her six children and pay their costs for schooling3. Her community is taking part in a joint4 program between Sierra Leone and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.  The program operates business centers that teach farmers better ways to market their products and keep records of what they sell.

David Mwesigwa is a manager of the program. He says women are given important jobs at the centers.

“Many are treasurers5 because of their trust of handling money.  Many are secretaries because of their knowledge in terms of writing and record keeping.  Those positions are very key.”

But women in Sierra Leone find it difficult to own farm land. A woman has a legal right to her husband’s property only after he dies and when he alone was the owner. In rural areas, local chiefs give land to men, while women are often left with no home after their husbands die.

An independent Italian organization is teaching these women to read, and understand their rights. Roisin Cavanaugh is with Cooperazione Internazaionale.

“It is very difficult for women to advocate on behalf of themselves when they don’t even know the documents they are putting their thumbprint to, when they could be signing their rights away to land.  So we are trying to get women to a functional6 level of literacy.”

Roisin Cavanaugh says her organization also has taught women how to appeal to get land returned to them. She says this has led to 120 lands rights cases. Probably half have resulted in women getting their land back or receiving payment for the land.

The human body contains about 10 trillion human cells. It also has about 100 trillion microbes. The microbes are naturally forming bacteria that can be helpful. Some are even necessary for good health. Taken together, all these cells and microbes make up what researchers call the human microbiome. Now a Citizen Science project seeks to expand our understanding of this complex relationship. Bob Doughty7 has more.

The microbes in our gut8 – the gastrointestinal tract9 – help process food and fight bacteria that cause disease. University of Colorado scientist Rob Knight10 wants to learn what nutrients11 aid the helpful microbes, and understand how they act with each other.

“What this research could ultimately lead to is a world where no infectious disease goes undiagnosed.”

To reach this goal, he has launched an online campaign called the American Gut Project. People all over the world are invited to take part. They are sent questions about their diet, health and use of antibiotic12 drugs. They also are asked to collect microbes from their mouths, faces and waste material. Then, they return everything to Rob Knight’s laboratory.

Chris Lauber directs the laboratory work. He says most studies of the human microbiome involve laboratory animals or people with a clear health problem. He believes that the openness of American Gut Project will provide new knowledge.

“Anybody can enroll13, and we don’t care what their disease state is and whether they’re on antibiotics14.  We just want to know about them.  And what microbes are in their gut.”

An increasing amount of research shows that gut microbes can easily be killed off. It happens through poor nutrition, overuse of antibiotic drugs, pollution and eating junk food. In countries with traditional food and less antibiotic use, health problems like allergies15 and asthma16 are less common than in the West.

Everyone who takes part in the American Gut Project will get a report on the microbes they provided, comments about their diet and their answers to health questions.

After the collapse17 of the former Soviet18 Union, Africans in Russia started to face discrimination from white power extremists, or “skinheads.”  Christopher Cruise is following the story.

When Russian nationalist skinheads insult the “chyorni,” or the blacks, they often mean Muslim immigrants from Central Asia.  But thousands of Africa students also work and study in the Russian capital, Moscow.  And they also are targets of hatred19 from the skinheads.

Rukunayi Pisou has been one of these targets.  He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but now lives in Russia.  He told VOA that he once escaped 15 skinheads who chased him into a building.  He said he jumped out a window, but suffered a broken foot.  Mister Pitsou says the Russian skinheads do not like seeing black people in Moscow.  He says when the skinheads attack, they beat their victims without pity.

A Protestant religious center in Moscow says it recorded 16 physical attacks against Africans in the capital last year.  One victim died.  Eric Merlain from Cameroon advises Africans not to get involved in fighting.

“The only thing is for you to be very calm and avoid fighting.  Because if they beat you, just look for a way and escape.  If you engage in fighting you might lose your life.”

Another Congolese immigrant, Peguy Nkodia, advises Africans not to come to Russia.  He notes the expense of living there.  Ibrahim from Mali says he earns 20 dollars a day passing out paper flyers.  And he says this is not enough to survive on in Moscow.

Mister Nkodia says African migrants sleep 10 people to one room.  He says it is not the rich nation he dreamed of moving to when he lived in Kinshasa.  He also advises Africans not to come to Russia if they do not have a job or a place in a university.

Still, some Russians say people of color are still objects of friendly interest, as they were during Soviet rule.  A top official of the People’s Friendship university says safety tips are given to hundreds of Africans who study at the school, once called Patrice Lumumba University.  But he believes Moscow is now more accepting of African students.  I’m Christopher Cruise.

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  Thank you for joining us for “As It Is” in VOA Special English.  At the beginning of next hour, you can hear world news on the Voice of America.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tedder 2833afc4f8252d8dc9f8cd73b24db55d     
n.(干草)翻晒者,翻晒机
参考例句:
  • Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆?特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
  • Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆?泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网
2 bugs e3255bae220613022d67e26d2e4fa689     
adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误
参考例句:
  • All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞,都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 schooling AjAzM6     
n.教育;正规学校教育
参考例句:
  • A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
  • Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。
4 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
参考例句:
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
5 treasurers b330f0892e5f171982a6d39d1e7d4ddd     
(团体等的)司库,财务主管( treasurer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • At the same time, individuals need to hold their pension fund managers and state treasurers accountable. 同时,个人需要使他们的养老基金管理者和州财务人员变得负有责任。
  • Last question, what's your advice for our treasurers to get through the crisis? 最后的问题,对于司库们更好的度过危机,您有什么建议吗?
6 functional 5hMxa     
adj.为实用而设计的,具备功能的,起作用的
参考例句:
  • The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了,但现在可以用了。
  • The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的,只是为了实用。
7 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
8 gut MezzP     
n.[pl.]胆量;内脏;adj.本能的;vt.取出内脏
参考例句:
  • It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
  • My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。
9 tract iJxz4     
n.传单,小册子,大片(土地或森林)
参考例句:
  • He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
  • He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。
10 knight W2Hxk     
n.骑士,武士;爵士
参考例句:
  • He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
  • A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。
11 nutrients 6a1e1ed248a3ac49744c39cc962fb607     
n.(食品或化学品)营养物,营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
  • Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 antibiotic KNJzd     
adj.抗菌的;n.抗生素
参考例句:
  • The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
  • Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。
13 enroll Pogxx     
v.招收;登记;入学;参军;成为会员(英)enrol
参考例句:
  • I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
  • They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。
14 antibiotics LzgzQT     
n.(用作复数)抗生素;(用作单数)抗生物质的研究;抗生素,抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
  • The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。
15 allergies 2c527dd68e63f119442f4352f2a0b950     
n.[医]过敏症;[口]厌恶,反感;(对食物、花粉、虫咬等的)过敏症( allergy的名词复数 );变态反应,变应性
参考例句:
  • Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
  • Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句
16 asthma WvezQ     
n.气喘病,哮喘病
参考例句:
  • I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
  • Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。
17 collapse aWvyE     
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷
参考例句:
  • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
  • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
18 Soviet Sw9wR     
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃
参考例句:
  • Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
  • Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
19 hatred T5Gyg     
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨
参考例句:
  • He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
  • The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

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