VOA标准英语2009年-Couple Creates Charity to Help Britain's W

By Jennifer Glasse
London
06 November 2009

 
Emma and Bryn Parry
Emma and Bryn Parry have deep connections to the British military. Their son Tom is a second lieutenant¹, now serving in Afghanistan. Bryn Parry is a former soldier himself. So after the couple visited wounded British troops at a military hospital two years ago, they decided² they had to do something. So they founded the charity Help for Heroes. In this installment³ of VOA's "Making a Difference" series, we introduce you to the Parrys and their charitable work.

The courage of wounded British soldiers, like Major Phil Packer, returning from Iraq and Afghanistan inspires Bryn and Emmy Parry.

"We understand that we can't prevent wars or stop people getting wounded, but what we can do, is by getting out there and doing our bike ride or climbing Kilimanjaro or whatever it is, raising money, then we can actually deliver practical support, and that makes us feel good," Bryn said.

An advertising⁴ campaign in a London newspaper helped to jump start Help for Heroes. All sorts of people from all walks of life responded by doing all sorts of things to raise money.

"We've had 80 - something year olds jump out of airplanes, completely mad. We've had people pulling a bus, you know really quite extreme nutty things, in fact the more extreme, the more they want to do it really," Emma said.

Even Australian film actor Hugh Jackman got involved, rapelling alongside a British Marine⁵. The charity takes the money raised at such events and gives what its founders⁶ call great big lumps of money to other charities or to defense⁷ ministry⁸ projects to benefit wounded soldiers coming home.

In two years, the charity has raised the equivalent of $51 million.

Soldiers are training in Britain to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on a Help for Heroes expedition. The idea behind this and other projects is to help the wounded focus on what they can do.

"We want them to have the equipment, the mental equipment and facilities to then say right, 'Well I'm no longer a paratrooper, I'm no longer a Marine, but now I'm going to work in a bank, or I'm going to be a solicitor⁹ or I'm going to write a book,' whatever it is. And just move on into life and say, 'Well that was a great part of my life, I don't regret that, and now I'm looking forward to the future, and not look backwards,'" Bryn adds.

 
Major Phil Paker has raised $2 million helping¹⁰ the Help for Heroes charity
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are hotly contested in Britain, but the Parrys say they are determinedly¹¹ apolitical.

"What we're trying to do is the best for the guys, so we may be irritating some politicians and we may have drawn¹² attention to things that maybe some people might not have wanted us to draw to," Bryn says, "but I think there's now a realization¹³ that actually a force for good and this is harnessing a deeply held desire to help."

The Parrys say the biggest surprise is how much the wounded veterans are part of Help for Heroes. Major Phil Paker was told he would never walk again. But he's not only walked, he's rowed the English Channel, scaled mountains and completed the London Marathon. He's also raised $2 million -- helping Bryn and Emma Parry provide help for Britain's heroes.

1 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。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

10 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。

11 determinedly   

adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地

参考例句：

• "Don't shove me,'said one of the strikers, determinedly. "I'm not doing anything." “别推我，"其中的一个罢工工人坚决地说，"我可没干什么。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Dorothy's chin set determinedly as she looked calmly at him. 多萝西平静地看着他，下巴绷得紧紧的，看来是打定主意了。 来自名作英译部分

12 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

13 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。