VOA慢速英语--疫情后塞内加尔妇女带着新的希望重返工作岗位

Since her birth near Senegal's coast, the ocean has always given Ndeye Yacine Dieng life. Her grandfather was a fisherman, and her grandmother and mother processed fish. Like generations of women, she now helps support her family in the small community of Bargny. The women dry, smoke, salt and preserve¹ the catch brought home by male villagers.

But when the pandemic hit, only a few men went out to sea. Many people were too afraid to leave their houses or go out to fish, for fear of catching² the virus³. When the local women did get fish to process, there was no one to buy them. Markets had closed. Neighboring countries had closed their borders. Without savings⁴, many families went from three meals a day to one or two.

Dieng is among more than a thousand women in Bargny, and many more in other villages along Senegal's coast, who process fish. Fish exports are an important part of the economy⁵ for Senegal. The industry employs hundreds of thousands of its citizens. The fish provide more than half of the protein eaten by Senegal's 16 million people.

"It was catastrophic -- all of our lives changed," Dieng said. But, she noted⁶, "Our community is a community of solidarity⁷."

New hope with a new fishing season

Last month was the first fishing season since the pandemic began. It brings a new hope to the processors, their families and the village. The brightly painted wooden fishing boats are again carrying men to the sea. Crowds wait on the beach to help the fishermen carry in their catch.

The coronavirus is not the only problem the people of Senegal face. Rising seas and climate change threaten the livelihoods⁸ and homes of people on the coast. They do not have enough money to build new homes or move away. Near Bargny's beach, builders work on new factories to make steel and cement⁹. These raise fears about pollution but supporters¹⁰ say they are necessary.

Dieng and the other processors use old ways do their work. New factories that process fish pay more for the fish and produce a fish powder used for animal food.

A bad year

Before the pandemic, a good season could bring Dieng about $1,000. Last year, she said, she made little to nothing. She depended on the help of neighbors and her family.

"Since there is COVID, we live in fear," said Dieng, 64, who has seven adult children. "Most of the people here and women processors have lived a difficult life." She said they are very tired, "But now, little by little, it's getting better."

Dieng has become a local leader and informal¹¹ teacher. She and others are now part of a rising group of women in Senegal working for change along the coast and beyond.

Dieng's neighbor, Fatou Samba, is a town leader and president of the Association¹² of Women Processors of Fish Products. She speaks in public about the problems facing the traditional fish industry. She hopes to stop much of the growth¹³ of big industry as fishmeal companies take large amounts of fish and send the product to Europe and Asia.

Women must be empowered

"If we let ourselves be outdone, within two or three years, women will not have work anymore," Samba said. "We are not against the creation¹⁴ of a project that will develop Senegal. But we are against projects that must make women lose the right to work."

"Especially in Africa, women are fighters. Women are workers. Women are family leaders," Samba said. "Therefore, women must be empowered."

Late last month, fishermen finally came back to Bargny with fish in their boats. Dieng and others hurried to meet them on the beach. She bought a load of fish and took it to the piece of land she and friends claimed. Then she started the work she's known¹⁵ for many years.

They put the fish on the sand and covered them in peanut¹⁶ shells¹⁷, which they burned. Smoke filled the air. The women stepped away after making sure the fire would continue burning. After a day or so, they returned to turn the fish and let it dry in the sun. Another day passed, and the women returned to clean it. Finally, they packed the fish in large nets and sold it. Others took fish away in trucks.

The pandemic also is not over, so Dieng and other women go door to door to ask people to get vaccinated¹⁸. She speaks to the other women, hoping they will stay in the industry.

"It's our gold. This site is all, this site is everything for us," Dieng said of the coast and its importance to Bargny. "All the women must rise up...We must work, to always work and work again for our tomorrows, for our future."

Words in This Story

preserve – v. to prevent (food) from decaying¹⁹

catastrophe²⁰ – n. a terrible disaster

(be) outdone – adj. having the experience of someone else being more successful than you

net -–n. a device for catching and holding things like fish that is made of pieces of string woven together with spaces in between

1 preserve   

vt.保护，保持，保存，保藏；vi.做蜜饯，禁猎；n.蜜饯，果酱，禁猎地，禁区，防护物

参考例句：

• What can we do to preserve the company from ruin? 我们怎么做才能保护这家公司不破产？
• It is the duty of the police to preserve public order.维护公共秩序是警察的职责。

2 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

3 virus   

n.病毒，滤过性微生物，毒害，恶毒；（一个能够复制、感染其他程序或破坏操作系统的程序）

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a virus infection.他受到病毒感染。
• There is a virus going round the world.世界上流行着一种病毒性疾病。

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 economy   

n.经济；节俭；秩序；机体

参考例句：

• We must do our best to develop the national economy.我们必须努力发展国民经济。
• The country's economy is not very healthy.国家的经济不很景气。

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 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

8 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

9 cement   

n.水泥；胶结材料；vt.粘结；巩固

参考例句：

• We need 100 tons of cement at most for this project.这项工程满打满算有一百吨水泥就足够了。
• Let's cement the parts together.咱们来把这些部件粘接在一起吧。

10 supporters   

n.支持者，拥护者，赞助者( supporter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a battalion of supporters 由支持者组成的队伍
• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。

11 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。

12 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

13 growth   

n.生长，栽培

参考例句：

• All living things depend on the sun for their growth.万物靠太阳生长。
• Youth is the time of physical growth.青年时期是长身体的时期。

14 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

15 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

16 peanut   

n.花生

参考例句：

• We don't have peanut oil in our family.我们家不吃花生油。
• The peanut develops below the ground.花生在地下结果。

17 shells   

n.（贝、卵、坚果等的）壳( shell的名词复数 )；外壳；炮弹；（人的）表面性格

参考例句：

• We collected shells on the beach. 我们在海滩拾贝壳。
• But at last the shells cracked, one after another. 最后，蛋壳一个接着一个地裂开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

19 decaying   

v.（使）腐烂，腐朽( decay的现在分词 )；衰败，衰退，衰落

参考例句：

• The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

20 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。