2006年VOA标准英语-Congo Hospital Keeps Dying AIDS Patients Unawar

By Nico Colombant
Kinshasa
17 November 2006
 
watch Congo AIDS report

A hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a death row aisle¹ for female victims of HIV/AIDS, but most do not even know they are close to death, or even that they are infected.  The deadly disease remains² a taboo³ in the war-torn country, even in the capital.

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This hospital built by Belgium colonizers in 1928 is the biggest in the DRC. It now has an aisle for female victims of HIV/AIDS.

Most are very sick, but they do not even know they suffer from the disease. Doctors say AIDS is considered so shameful⁴, that victims refuse to even consider the possibility of a test.

 
Chouchouna Mukesinga, AIDS victim
  
One exception is Chouchouna Mukesinga.  She agrees to talk to VOA, but not to have her face filmed. "I am getting treatment but it is very difficult. I vomit⁵ all the time. I have horrible stomach-aches.  I know about these symptoms all too well. Both my parents died of AIDS and two of my children died as well.  My husband also died of AIDS. I took care of my mother before she died from this horrible sickness.  I always thought it was my fault that she had AIDS, because I was so young.  Now it is me who carries this burden.  I saw her nails fall off, and mine are starting to do the same. I saw the spots on her face, and I am starting to get those as well."

She says it is important for her to know her status.

"My only surviving son is only nine years old.  He needs to study. He needs to live.  So I am under intensive treatment. But still it does not seem to be going too well for me.  I had to go to other hospitals before ending up here.  Now I am treated better, but I still cannot stop vomiting⁶ and having diarrhea.  I have lost 30 kilograms.  I try to eat well but it is so difficult."

 
Dr. J M Bwanahali 
  
Doctor J.M. Bwanahali heads the care for AIDS patients.  Since many are never told they have AIDS, he came up with another system for treating them. "Those who can be released from the hospital, we use what we call confidantes. They are told about the victim's AIDS status.  Then, they try to make sure the patient takes the necessary medication and that they take it regularly.  And we see these confidantes at least once a month."

Doctor Bwanahali says it very difficult to treat HIV/AIDS in Africa, because many victims are so poor, and have so very little to eat. Those who refuse to be tested, he says, endure an uncertain future, in near-total isolation⁷.

1 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

4 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

5 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

6 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

7 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。