女性攀登非洲最高峰

Women Climb Africa’s Highest Mountain for a Cause

A group of six women decided² to climb Africa’s highest mountain in an effort to bring public attention to a physical condition they share.

The women suffer from albinism, a genetic³ condition in which a person’s skin, hair and eyes lack pigmentation. One of the main signs of albinism is lighter-than-usual skin color. Other signs can include white hair and pink eyes. Many people with the condition also have problems with their eyesight and are extremely sensitive to sunlight.

The six women set out to climb Tanzania’s Mount¹ Kilimanjaro earlier this month. The Climb for Albinism aimed to raise the visibility of women with albinism. They wanted to prove that women with the condition are not afraid to face difficult challenges.

All the climbers say they have suffered discrimination and abuse because of their albinism. There are widely held stereotypes⁵ about the condition in some African nations. Some of these are based on incorrect beliefs or superstition⁶.

In some countries, women who give birth to babies with albinism are rejected by their husbands and families. Sometimes children with the condition are not accepted by their parents. Many children and adults with albinism are socially rejected.

Nodumo Ncomanzi was one of the climbers. She told VOA that growing up in Zimbabwe, discrimination for people with albinism was not as bad as in some other countries. However, she said she suffered regular abuse.

“I was very much made fun of at school. I was harassed⁸ typically in public in just walking across the street.”

Even with these problems, Ncomanzi graduated from Yale University in the United States and now works in education.

Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,895 meters high and is a difficult climb for anyone. But reaching the top can be even more difficult for people with albinism.

Ncomanzi said she never faced extreme physical conditions like those she experienced during her climb of Kilimanjaro. They included having to deal with intense sunlight and having problems seeing along the way, Ncomanzi said.

Another climber was Mariamu Staford. She said she faced major problems throughout her life because of albinism. In one incident, she was attacked in her home by a group of men who cut off both her arms.

Now, Staford runs her own business in Tanzania. She said one problem she sees is that discussions of albinism in the media often deal with “victimhood and pity.” She hopes things like the Climb for Albinism can help change incorrect images of people with the condition.

“We wanted to show that we are more capable of accomplishing and succeeding in challenges that go far beyond the stereotypes that we are usually attached to.”

Four of the climbers reached a camp at 4,700 meters before deciding to stop on medical advice. The other two - Ncomanzi and her Kenyan teammate Jane Waithera - continued the climb. But Waithera had to stop 20 meters short of the top because of a knee injury.

So in the end, Ncomanzi was the one to represent the whole team. She reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro on October 7.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

pigmentation – n. substance that gives something color

sensitive – adj. easily damaged or hurt

challenge – n. something difficult that tests someone's ability or determination

stereotype⁴ – n. an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular quality

superstition – n. the belief that particular actions or objects are lucky or unlucky

harass⁷ – v. to annoy or bother someone in a constant or repeated way

typically –adv. in the usual way; usually

pity – n. a strong feeling of sadness or sympathy for someone or something

accomplish – v. succeed in doing something

1 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

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 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。

4 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

5 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

7 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

8 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们