2006年VOA标准英语-UN Report Finds Majority in Asia Living Without

By Steve Herman
Tokyo
09 November 2006

Declaring "dirty water is a bigger killer¹ than bullets" worldwide, the United Nations Development Program is calling for a global action plan for the more than one billion people with no access to clean water and sanitation².

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The United Nations is sounding the alarm - with more than a billion people without clean water and half of the developing world without basic sanitation.

In its annual human development report, released Thursday, the U.N. Development Program says old policies have failed and it is time for new national strategies and international aid to address the issue.

The U.N. agency estimates that deaths from diarrhea - usually caused by drinking foul³ water - is six times higher than people dying in armed conflict each year. Nearly two million children alone die annually⁴ because of water related diseases. 
 

		Shoji Nishimoto

Most of the people without clean water live in Asia. U.N.D.P's Shoji Nishimoto is the assistant administrator⁵ for development policy.

"Asia houses the largest number of people living below the poverty line. So, in an aggregate⁶ sense, the problem of water and sanitation is biggest in Asia-Pacific zone," he said.

There is some good news. Developing economic giants, India and China, are making progress in bringing clean water to the more than two billion people who live within their borders.

Nishimoto hopes that trend will spread to the rest of the region.

"The largest reduction in the poor people, in terms of number not the share, happened in India and China. So there is a great hope that the improvement even in this area is likely to take place more in Asia-Pacific."

The United Nations is also calling for clean water to be affordable⁷ regardless of income. The annual report notes the poor - who usually are not serviced by public utilities - pay significantly more for water. For example, the average person in Manila pays six times the rate the typical New Yorker spends for a cubic meter of water.

The report ranks 177 nations in terms of prospects⁸ for human development - based on factors such as life expectancy⁹, education, and real income.

Nepal ranked 138th. East Timor ranked 142nd. Japan is the highest ranked Asian nation - in 7th place overall. That is one spot ahead of the United States and one behind Canada.

1 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

2 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

3 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

4 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

5 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

6 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

9 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。