2007年VOA标准英语-A Day in the Life of a Senegal Horseman

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
13 April 2007

In the West African nation of Senegal, as in many of the poorest parts of the continent, horse carts still make up an essential part of daily life.  They are used to move people, belongings¹ and materials from place to place.  VOA's Nico Colombant reports on a day in the life of one horseman in Dakar.

Horse cart driver Adama Ndoye wakes up at dawn, warms up a bit of water for his shower, kisses his newborn son and is off to work.  The 28-year-old travels by bus to his outdoor workplace, which he set up several years ago.  His helpers are already there, preparing the horse cart for the day.

The horse, named Diass, also appears to be awaiting the long day ahead.  Before customers show up, however, a bath is in order.

The wait for customers can last a long time.   Ndoye says this unpredictability can be difficult.  "You do not really know how much you will make in a day or in a month,” he says.  “It really depends from day to day.  The last few months I do not know, I have never even calculated."

An order has finally been made to move furniture from a luxurious² villa³ in a suburb of Dakar.  This is a good job, which will pay him $10 more than usual.

Ndoye and his horse, Diass

It is a light load, but long enough on a bumpy⁴ road.  Diass quickly slows down.

"It was my uncles who taught me," says Ndoye.  "They taught me everything.  It was so hard in the beginning since I had no experience."

Up hills the horse and driver go, through difficult terrain⁵, until they finally arrive at the apartment to unload some of the customer's belongings. 

This is also part of the job, untying⁶ knots and carrying loads, sometimes heavy.  Ndoye is mainly a mover.  It is just that he has a horse, rather than a truck.

"This is difficult, let me tell you,” he says. “But all work is hard."

Now it is back to his base, across the construction zone that most of Dakar has become.  Moving bricks, sand and cement is good business, so Ndoye is not complaining.

The horse does not complain either, even though it only gets fed once a day, after work is over.  Ndoye says he owes his horse a lot.

"Because of this job and God, I got married and I get money for rent, to feed and clothe my family, for everything," he says.

Night falls quickly in Dakar, as Ndoye locks up his work shack⁷.  He gingerly walks back in the dusk, looking for the bus that will take him home, to the family he loves and cares for – thanks to his horse.

 

1 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

2 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

3 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

4 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

5 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

6 untying   

untie的现在分词

参考例句：

• The tying of bow ties is an art; the untying is easy. 打领带是一种艺术，解领带则很容易。
• As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 33他们解驴驹的时候，主人问他们说，解驴驹作什么？

7 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。