Helping Reduce the Digital Divide

29 缩小数字化时代拉大的人与人之间的距离

DATE=4-9-01
TITLE=DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Helping¹ Reduce the Digital Divide
BYLINE=Gary Garriott

(Start at 1'02")This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
The Internet (1) computer system is helping many people start and operate businesses. But to use the Internet, a person has to learn how to use a computer. A person also needs a (2) telephone line or satellite connection. However, about half the world's population has never even made a telephone call. And most poor people do not own a computer. For these people a "(3) digital (4) divide" exists.
Two meetings were held in the United States to discuss what can be done. One was called the "Digital Dividends² Conference." It was held in Seattle, Washington. Officials from large American (5) information technology companies attended. Representatives from non-governmental organizations, or N-G-Os, also attended.
These people are working to make it easier for poor people to use the Internet. Many American companies provide money to N-G-Os for their programs. Microsoft is the largest computer software company in the world. It has set up an organization to give money to many N-G-Os.
The head of Microsoft, Bill Gates, spoke³ at the meeting. Mister⁴ Gates has given hundreds of millions of dollars to help people in developing countries fight diseases⁵ like （6）malaria and AIDS. He said that people have to be healthy before they can use computers and the Internet.
Another conference was held at the World Bank （7）headquarters in Washington, D-C. It was called "Voices of the Poor." It was supported by the British Department for International Development. About one- hundred people from N-G-Os and poor people's organizations from around the world attended. They told about using the Internet to teach poor children about computers and business in many places around the world.
They also told about how providing a wireless⁶ telephone to poor village women has changed their lives. The women are able to sell telephone services to other people in the village. Everyone who attended the meeting learned⁷ that many organizations around the world are using computers and the Internet to help reduce the digital divide.
You can get more information about what is being done to reduce the digital divide from the group （8）VITA. Its Internet address is www.vita.org.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Gary Garriott. This is bill White.

 注释：
(1) computer [k[m5pju:t[]n.电子计算机；电脑
(2) telephone [5telif[un]n.电话
(3) digital [5didVitl]a.手指的,脚趾的,数字的
(4) divide[di5vaid]v.分开；划分
(5) information[ 7inf[5meiF[n ]n.通知, 报告
(6) malaria[ m[5lZ[ri[ ]n.疟疾, 瘴气
(7) headquarters[ 5hed7kwR:t[z ]n.司令部,总部
(8) vita[ 5vait[ ]n.个人简历,生活, 生命

1 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。

2 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

3 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。

4 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

5 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

6 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

7 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。