2006年VOA标准英语-Ivorian-Produced Spiruline Helps Sick and

By Nico Colombant and Karene Bassompierre
Abidjan
06 April 2006

A micro-algae recently rediscovered by scientists is helping¹ weak and sick people in West Africa.  VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Abidjan, with additional reporting by Karene Bassompierre in the town of Adzope, Ivory Coast.

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Spiruline   
  

Eight kilograms of micro-algae, known as Spiruline, are being churned out daily in eight basins at this broiling² greenhouse factory in Adzope.

Dr. Jean-Claude Gboze, who is the go-between the factory and pharmacists, says some people call spiruline a miracle product, but he says anything that can be explained is not a miracle.

Spiruline, which is found in bodies of water throughout Ivory Coast and West Africa, is rich in proteins, minerals, and anti-oxidants. It formerly³ was a staple⁴ of Aztec meals during that civilization.
 

Greenhouse basins of Spiruline  
  
Today, it can easily be cultivated in green houses and transformed into pills, tablets or its most effective form, powder, in low-tech laboratories, like this one in Adzope.

At nearby pharmacies⁵ and others throughout Ivory Coast, locally-made spiruline products are becoming more and more popular.

Pharmacist Yolande Bla says she recommends it to people with low immunity⁶, flu or malaria⁷. She also recommends it to children, who have a weak appetite or vitamin deficiencies. The only problem she says is the green color which can be scary to some. She says a good trick is to get children to swallow the spiruline with mint syrup⁸. 

 
Spiruline collected from basins
  
A recent study by Italian and Burkinabe scientists in the British-based Nutrition Journal says spiruline is an excellent supplement for the malnourished. It also helps the sick get stronger, to follow a course of treatment.

Such findings have long been recognized by some scientists and local healers, but the knowledge is only getting widespread usage now.

The Adzope factory donates a quarter of its production to centers taking care of malnourished children and also to this center for victims of buruli ulcer⁹.

Buruli ulcer is an infectious disease from the same family of bacteria which causes tuberculosis¹⁰ and leprosy. The bacteria suppresses the immune system, destroys skin, and causes severe deformities of limbs.
 

A healthier victim of buruli ulcer   
  
Sister Jacqueline gives spiruline to all patients at her center. She points to one little boy, Cabrel. She says he arrived at the center "as skinny as dead can be."  She says he gained so much weight now, that she stopped giving him the green powder.

Yao Nestor, who has been in this center eight months and now he believes he can live again, says "When I take it, it gives me blood and strength. I see that my cheeks begin to grow, and I start eating." He says normally he does not want to eat the rice they give him, but that, with spiruline, for some reason, he does.

Back at the laboratory in Adzope, Lionel Raobelina, the head researcher, says doctors also need to be educated about the benefits of spiruline.

He says it is an effective and affordable¹¹ way to help fight severe disease, even ward¹² it off, especially when people are already weak from other diseases. But he adds, unfortunately, most doctors are not accustomed to anticipate serious sickness or to recommend nutritional¹³ supplements.

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 broiling   

adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙）

参考例句：

• They lay broiling in the sun. 他们躺在太阳底下几乎要晒熟了。
• I'm broiling in this hot sun. 在太阳底下，我感到热极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

4 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

5 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

6 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

7 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

8 syrup   

n.糖浆，糖水

参考例句：

• I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
• Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。

9 ulcer   

n.溃疡，腐坏物

参考例句：

• She had an ulcer in her mouth.她口腔出现溃疡。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

10 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

11 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。

12 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

13 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。