VOA慢速英语2021--新冠病毒让南非失去了文化地标

A set of boxing gloves worn by Nelson Mandela during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa lies in a darkened room. The quiet is broken only by the sound of insects hitting the glass case that holds the gloves.

They were once among the most popular objects at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The museum is one of many cultural and art spaces around the country forced to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Christopher Till is museum director. He told Reuters news agency he had to let go of about 30 employees. "There's no one here to turn the lights on and off," he said.

He used his mobile phone as a light to show some of the pieces that represent the long struggle against white minority rule.

"We can't afford to lose this place," Till said.

Before the pandemic, the museum was recording¹ up to 1,000 visitors a day, most of them foreign. Like other cultural organizations, the space shut down in March 2020 when South Africa issued its first stay-at-home orders. It sold no tickets for 10 months but reopened in January 2021. However, visitor numbers were low because of the ongoing² virus spread and the museum did not have enough money to operate. It closed again in March.

With tourists not around because of restrictions³, several other cultural landmarks⁴ in South Africa are suffering similarly. They include the Fugard Theatre in Cape⁵ Town, the Johannesburg Art Gallery, and Mandela's house in the town of Soweto.

South Africa's $14 billion loan-guarantee plan aims for banks to lend money to businesses affected⁶ by the coronavirus crisis⁷. But the plan has not helped as much as was hoped. Many businesses are afraid to take on more debt.

In normal times, tourism makes up more than eight percent of the nation's economy and around 1.5 million jobs.

Bongani Ndlovu is a tour guide in Soweto. He said his small business was suffering because of museum closures.

Places like the Apartheid Museum and the Mandela house are "big attractions for international visitors," he said. "It's the first thing they ask to see when they get here."

Reuters news agency reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver⁸ was the editor.

Words in This Story

boxing gloves - n. cushioned hand-coverings that fighters wear on their hands during boxing matches and practices

apartheid - n. a former system of segregating⁹ and economically and politically oppressing¹⁰ the nonwhite population of South Africa

afford - v. to be able to do something without having problems or being seriously harmed

tourist - n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

attraction - n. something interesting or enjoyable that people want to visit, see, or do

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

6 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。

7 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

9 segregating   

（使）分开( segregate的现在分词 )； 分离； 隔离； 隔离并区别对待（不同种族、宗教或性别的人）

参考例句：

• The government has just repealed the law segregating the public facilities. 这个政府已经撤销了分离公共设施的法律。
• Siblings and dizygotic twins share only 50% of their segregating genes. 同卵双生双胞胎和双卵双生双胞胎分享仅50%的基因。

10 oppressing   

使烦恼( oppress的现在分词 )； 压迫，压制

参考例句：

• The regime is accused of oppressing religious minorities. 人们指控这个政权压迫少数宗教信徒。
• The local bully's henchmen were his agents in oppressing the people. 土豪劣绅的狗腿子为虎作伥，欺压百姓。