肯尼亚独立50周年

肯尼亚独立50周年 　　

WASHINGTON — Thursday will mark 50 years since Kenya gained independence from Britain. As the nation celebrates half a century of self-rule, Kenyans are reflecting on how their country has changed.

　　Frederic Njenga is an entrepreneur¹ who runs a butcher's shop on the outskirts² of Nairobi.

　　His parents, like many Kenyans with high hopes for a country that won hard-fought independence, wanted their son to get a good education. However, they could not afford to pay school fees.

　　"I completed primary school in 1980, then I went to high school. I studied for the first two terms, but then we couldn't afford the fees so I was forced to quit. Living in the village, in a rural area, you have to think about what else you will do. So I decided³ to start a business with money I had saved working in people's farms, and that's how I started,” recalled Njenga.

　　Like many people in rural communities, Njenga shares a home with his extended family. He lives with his parents and four children.

　　His first business trips to the livestock⁴ market to buy supplies. He does not own a car, so he uses a public transport minibus known as a "matatu.

　　Life can be hard and money is sometimes tight, but Njenga believes Kenya has made major progress over the years.

　　"If you think back to the early 1970s, there were no paved⁵ roads or tapped water. Electricity wasn't accessible to all people, and today most people have electricity in their homes. Many of the main roads are tarmac (paved) so the government has tried,” said Njenga.

　　There are large suppliers of meat in Kenya, but many people still rely on small-scale traders like Njenga who sell meat at a relatively⁶ lower cost.

　　When asked what he hopes the future holds for himself and Kenya, Njenga is non-committal.

　　"I can't tell you what the future of the country will be, but ask me about business. All we want is for us to be able to make a living,” he said.

　　Njenga hopes that as Kenya marks 50 years of independence from colonial⁷ rule, his country will continue to grow and develop -- and give his children and grandchildren a better chance for a comfortable life.

1 entrepreneur   

n.企业家，主办人

参考例句：

• The entrepreneur has become a news figure.这位企业家变成了新闻人物。
• The entrepreneur takes business risks in the hope of making a profit.企业家为追求利润而冒险。

2 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

3 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。

4 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

5 paved   

v.铺( pave的过去式和过去分词 )；为…铺平道路

参考例句：

• a paved area near the back door 后门旁一块石板地
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track. 铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

7 colonial   

adj.殖民地的，关于殖民的；n.殖民地，居民

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• The people of Africa have successfully fought against colonial rule.非洲人民成功地反抗了殖民统治。