2006年VOA标准英语-Father Vadim Still Helping New York's Homeless

By Michael Gutkin, Alona Cherkassky
New York
30 June 2006
 
Watch Homeless Report

 
Father Vadim Arefyev 
  
VOA's Russian Service introduced us to Father Vadim two years ago. He opened the first shelter for homeless Russians in Brooklyn, New York. VOA recently met up with Father Vadim again to see how his efforts were impacting the community. Crystal Park narrates¹.

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It has become a habit for Father Vadim Arefyev. Once a week, in the early evening, he and his churchwarden, Georgiy Hololeenko, go through some of the most dangerous places in Russian Brooklyn. They search for the homeless, many of whom are alcoholics² and drug addicts³, who have come here to spend the night.

"As a rule, our prayers begin right at the car. We pray to stay alive, to be able to leave these slums alive," Father Vadim said.

 
Brighton Beach 
  
Brighton Beach in Brooklyn has long become famous outside the United States as a neighborhood favored by Russian immigrants. Brighton is especially popular among those who recently moved to the United States.

Father Vadim Arefyev was upset when he became aware of the homeless problem in the Russian community. "When I first learned there were people dying on the streets, it turned me upside down," he said. "I thought to myself, it's impossible that in America today, our guys, Orthodox brothers, die on the streets. That can't be true. But when I realized that it's true, it turned me inside out."

As he makes his rounds, Father Vadim invites the men he encounters to his shelter, the St. John Foundation for the Homeless. 

Evgeny Deryagin, a former lieutenant⁴ colonel in the Russian Army, helps out at the shelter. He credits Father Vadim with helping⁵ him to quit drinking. He said, "I am very grateful to fate and those people who can respond to kindness with kindness."

Evgeny Deryagin
  
  
Deryagin says it is a mistake to give up on people who come to the shelter. "Those 60, 70, 80 percent who look at these people as total failures, they're wrong," he said. "These people are just as capable, with God's help, to get up on their feet and do good for themselves, for those around them and for society."

Father Vadim says he has encountered hundreds of people during his trips and that people from all walks of life have ended up at his shelter.

The St. John Foundation barely makes ends meet. It does get some help from parishioners' donations and Father Vadim himself, who works as a computer programmer at a large American firm during the day. It also receives some corporate⁶ assistance.

 
Homeless men gather 
  
Even without much in the way of local donations, Father Vadim plans to increase the center's efforts to help more people. "We want to build a shelter that could house 50 to 70 people. Our quarters are way too small," he said. "We're stuffed to the brim as it is, especially during the winter months. We try to accommodate as many as we can so they won't freeze, as it happened many times before. We can't take everyone, we don't have room."

Even without adequate room, Father Vadim will continue looking for people he can help

1 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

2 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

3 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

4 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。