2007年VOA标准英语-Non-Profit Organization Seeks to Clear Landmine

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
09 April 2007

Roots of Peace, a non-profit organization that removes landmines¹ around the world, has an ambitious project in southern Africa. As Sabina Castelfranco reports for VOA from Rome, the organization plans to clear landmines from a wildlife sanctuary² in the region.

Christian3 Kuhn, look over some inert4 land mines in California (File)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070530/1357210.jpg" width="207" vspace="2" border="0" />

Heidi Kuhn, center, of Roots of Peace, and Kuhn's son, Christian Kuhn, look over some inert land mines in California (File)

On a visit to Rome last week to get support for her projects, Heidi Kuhn, founder⁵ of Roots of Peace, says she hopes to make a difference in Angola.

"Angola is the most heavily mined country on the most heavily mined continent in the world. There's an estimated 10 million landmines in Angola alone," said Kuhn. "So to get the mines out and to open the roads to allow transportation from this beautiful area of Huambo to the port cities could feed not only sub-Saharan Africa but could really put Africa back on its feet again. Landmines hold the land hostage and prevent people from eating."

Kuhn says her organization recently raised $20,000  to clear mines in the rich agricultural area of Huambo.

She added that what really shocked her was the silent suffering of the animals in the southeast of Angola. She found that elephants are trapped and no longer able to follow their historic migration⁶ trails due to the scourge⁷ of landmines, sown during Angola's 27-year civil war, which ended in 2002

"One hundred thirty-five thousand elephants are trapped in northern Botswana by landmines," she said. "They're smart creatures, they know that there's thunder in the ground and they warn the other herds⁸. So they stay in a concentrated area."

Kuhn added that the elephants are growing at a five percent rate and they're infringing⁹ upon the food sources of the neighbouring villagers. Local villagers, she said, are considering killing¹⁰ 60,000 elephants.

Roots of Peace has launched a project to avoid just that. Working with a number of partners, including Conservation International and five African presidents, it is working to create a trans-frontier conservation area and re-open the ancient migration routes linking Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

1 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

2 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 inert   

adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的

参考例句：

• Inert gas studies are providing valuable information about other planets,too.对惰性气体的研究，也提供了有关其它行星的有价值的资料。
• Elemental nitrogen is a very unreactive and inert material.元素氮是一个十分不活跃的惰性物质。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

7 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

8 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

9 infringing   

v.违反（规章等）( infringe的现在分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）

参考例句：

• The material can be copied without infringing copyright. 这份材料可以复制，不会侵犯版权。
• The media is accused of infringing on people's privacy. 人们指责媒体侵犯了大家的隐私。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。