VOA慢速英语2013--AS IT IS - The meeting of BRICS nations

 

AS IT IS - The meeting of BRICS nations

From VOA Learning English, welcome back to AS IT IS. I’m your host Mario Ritter.

India is one of the last remaining places in the world with polio infections. Now the crippling disease is being brought under control. We also hear how Buddhist¹ travelers seeking spiritual renewal² are bringing needed tourism income to parts of India. But first, we learn about the results of the meeting of BRICS nations.

The BRICS nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Leaders of the five countries met in the South African port city of Durban last week with the goal of increasing economic cooperation and development.  Kelly Jean Kelly has more.

The BRICS nations account for one fourth of the world’s economic production.  The developing economies say they want more influence in the international community.  This led them to form their group of large, developing economies.

South Africa is the newest member of the group.  It hosted this year’s meeting with the ceremony of a major international summit.

The main goal of the meeting was to create a development bank to assist with important projects such as roads, railways and ports.  Africa will need an estimated $200 billion in new infrastructure³ during the next 20 years.

South African President Jacob Zuma said the group has agreed on the idea for the bank, but not the details.

“Following the report from our finance ministers, we are satisfied that the establishment of a new development bank is feasible and viable⁴.  We have agreed to establish the new development bank.  The initial capital contribution to the bank should be substantial and sufficient for the bank to be effective in financing infrastructure.”

Mr. Zuma signed several agreements at the summit.  They include a shipbuilding deal with China worth billions of dollars.

BRICS country leaders made a statement about non-economic issues.  Human rights groups and humanitarian⁵ agencies had asked that the group comment on the violence in Syria.  In a statement, the leaders condemned⁶ human rights violations⁷ in Syria.  They also said they believe in a Syria-led political process.  And they called on all parties to permit humanitarian aid to reach those in need in Syria.

Next year’s BRICS summit will be held in Brazil.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

The World Health Organization says that the disease polio is no longer widespread, or endemic, in India.  In 2009, half of the world’s cases of polio were in India.

In 2011, there was only one new case of polio in the country.  VOA’s Karen Leggett has the story, that we broadcast earlier, of how India has worked to end the spread of the disease.

Polio is caused by a virus.  It spreads very quickly from one person to another.  Victims often lose the use of their arms and legs.  In the most serious cases, polio can kill a person.

Twenty-five years ago, polio affected⁸ about 200,000 children in India each year.  The United Nations children’s organization, UNICEF, sent teams of health workers into local villages.  Team members like Zareena Parveen told families in her neighborhood about the importance of giving liquid medicine to children to protect them against polio.

“They used to think that our children will become sterile⁹ and will not be able to have children when they grow up.  They used to think like this before.  But now they don’t.  Now they allow their kids to get the drops.”

Asma Khatun is a mother in the town of Ghaziabad in the northern state of Utter Pradesh.

“Whenever anyone comes, we get the children vaccinated¹¹.  Even if nobody came to our house, we would send our children to a clinic to get vaccinated.”

A local Muslim leader says the vaccination¹² campaign has been successful because it is supported by religious leaders.

“The polio vaccination campaign has been successful here because our Muslim scholars are with us.  With their support, we are able to make people understand that giving children the vaccine¹³ is beneficial and crucial.”

The Indian government has now launched a new campaign to vaccinate¹⁰ 170-million children under the age of five.  The campaign will target newborn babies, migrants and people living in poor, crowded areas where the disease spreads more quickly.

I’m Karen Leggett.

The Buddhist religion is more than 2,500 years old. Buddhism¹⁴ began in India, but went on to gain popularity in other parts of Asia. Now India is using its rich Buddhist tradition to appeal to foreign travelers. Here is a report from Steve Ember which we broadcast earlier.

From a train station in New Delhi, the Mahaparinirvan Express begins an eight-day trip to three Indian states. The train stops at some places considered holy to Buddhists¹⁵. They include Bodh Gaya, where Buddha¹⁶ first gained spiritual enlightenment; Sarnath, where he gave his first religious message; Varanasi, where he spoke¹⁷; and Kusinagar, where he died.

Many of the holy sites are in some of India’s poorest states. For years, they were difficult to reach. As a result, only a few religious tourists have made the effort. But in recent years, India has been developing what it calls its spiritual tourism. It hopes to interest more visitors from countries with large Buddhist populations like Japan and Thailand.

India is working to connect major Buddhist heritage sites through a railroad system on which the Mahaparinirvan Express operates.

Bihar State is in one of the poorest and least-developed areas in India. It is also home to most of the Buddhist holy places. Ten years ago, very few foreigners visited the area. Today, millions of them do. I’m Steve Ember.

1 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

2 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

7 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

8 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。

9 sterile   

adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
• The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。

10 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

11 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

12 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

13 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

14 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

15 Buddhists   

n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒，用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后，并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句

16 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

17 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。