VOA标准英语2010年-Cameroon’s Albinos Fight Prejudice

The town of Buea lies at the foot of Mt Cameroon, the highest volcano in West and Central Africa.

In the streets, a number of albinos go about their daily activities. But when the volcano threatens to erupt, they all go underground to avoid being sacrificed to appease¹ the mountain gods.

Elsewhere across the country, albinos are hunted down for their body parts because witchdoctors say they can bring wealth and good luck. In many communities, albino babies are considered signs of misfortune and are buried alive or are denied breast milk.

The situation is not peculiar² to Cameroon. In Tanzania, police are holding a Kenyan national arrested earlier this month for trying to sell an albino man for US$250.000. In Burundi last year, 12 albinos were mutilated and their remains³ sold for use in magical portions.

 
D. Ntaryike
Jean Jacques Ndoudoumou, president of the World Association for the Defense⁴ of the Interests and Solidarity⁵ of Albinos (ASMODISA)
Albinism is an inherited genetic⁶ condition characterized by the absence of melanin, which gives the skin, eyes and hair their color. It can affect all races. But African albinos are especially easy to spot because of their white skin and fair hair.

Natasha Ndalle is a 2005 albino beauty queen in Cameroon's capital Yaounde.

She says about four years ago, a woman came begging for her hair to use in preparing traditional medicine. Natasha says even her own mother admits regularly shaving her hair when she was younger for the same purpose. She says some men, running for elections or seeking job promotions⁷, have offered her huge amounts of money for sex.

Many albinos say they're victims of prejudice. They say they're discriminated⁸ against in employment opportunities, blamed for their parents' separation, denied education, and mocked at school because of their skin color and poor sight.

Leading the campaign to defend them is the Cameroon-based World Association for the Defense of the Interests and Solidarity of Albinos, or ASMODISA in French. In early August, the group organized the 13th National Week of Albinos.

This year, the focus was on skin cancer, which the association says is responsible for 70 percent of all albino deaths in Cameroon. The delegates were given free dermatology and ophthalmology consultations⁹ and took part in a number of sensitization sessions, as well as sporting and cultural events.

Albinos used the week to urge the government to give them preferential treatment like reduced healthcare costs, better access to education and equal employment opportunities.

The president of ASMODISA is Jean Jacques Ndoudoumou. He is also the manager of the government-run Public Contracts Award Commission.

Ndoudoumou says over time, the plight¹⁰ of albinos in Cameroon is changing, though at a very slow pace. He says the number of albinos graduating from the country's universities is gradually increasing, and reports of the systematic¹¹ elimination¹² of albino babies are dropping. Ndoudoumou says it's an indication that long years of sensitization are finally beginning to pay off.

The government sent the ministers of health and social affairs to the weeklong ASMODISA activities. It has pledged to support to the association and has promised to examine all complaints.
 

1 appease   

v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足

参考例句：

• He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
• The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

2 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 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。

5 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。

6 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

7 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

8 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

9 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

11 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

12 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。