2006年VOA标准英语-Young Rural Senegalese Women Face Divided Paths

By Phuong Tran
Fatick, Senegal
18 December 2006

Anta Mbow, left, and Gueye Ndao Seck make couscous by hand, in Thiaroye, Senegal, 17 Sept 2006

Young rural women in Africa face harsh circumstances, as they prepare for adulthood¹. In this first part of a series on prospects² faced by young African women, VOA's Phuong Tran reports from the Senegalese town, Fatick, about two teenage girls who are preparing to take very different roads, as they enter their twenties.

She says it is her first time to try this tie-dye fabric³-making process. Madrimdram is a 19-year-old student at a vocational school for girls who have dropped out of the formal school system.

She says it is not hard to do. She is from Fatick. She is in her final year of a three-year program to become a seamstress.

When asked about her parents, her first reply is that her parents are at home. However, it is actually her uncle who she calls her "parents."

"My father died five years ago and my mother died when I was two months old. I am an orphan⁴ and live with my uncle," she said. "After my mother died, my grandmother and uncle adopted me and I came here."

Here at the Fatick Girls' Vocational Training Center, more than 100 girls pay $3 a month to attend this government-subsidized program. They choose from classes in embroidery⁵, baking, fabric making, cooking, and computer training. Most are like Madimdram and stopped going to school after about five years in primary school.

She says that she tried to take the exam after primary school to continue to secondary school. After she failed the exam twice, she came to the training program.

"I could not make it at the other school. I was not made for that type of school. I fit in much better in this program," concluded Madimdram.

Next door, a group is borrowing classroom space from the school for the day.

Eighty-five high-school girls from Fatick and its surrounding villages are divided into groups for a day workshop on leadership.

This is part of a scholarship program where they attend workshops, for which they receive an annual scholarship of about $200. A regional committee of educators chose the best students, from struggling families, to award scholarships.

The trainer reviews the morning's discussion about overcoming the difficulties female leaders face.

Soda⁶ Samb, a 19-year-old scholarship recipient⁷, lives with her father, his two wives, brothers and sisters in Fatick. Even though her siblings⁸ work for her father's tailor shop, her parents let her go to school because they say she is smart and should not stay at home.

She says girls have the same rights as boys do. She says girls should not follow boys, but should lead.

When asked what she wants to do when she graduates from high school, Soda has little hesitation⁹. Judge or lawyer, she replies.

Next door, at the vocational training school, Madimdram finishes her fabric dye and puts away her wash bin¹⁰. When asked about her plans after finishing her program, she also replies quickly.

She says she wants to stay in Fatick as a seamstress, forever.

1 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

2 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。

3 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

4 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

5 embroidery   

n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品

参考例句：

• This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品，使人惊叹不已。
• This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。

6 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

7 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

8 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

9 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

10 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。