2007年VOA标准英语-Children in Zimbabwe Hardest Hit By Faltering E

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
26 June 2007

The U.N. Children's Fund says it is very concerned by the rapidly deteriorating¹ condition of children and women in Zimbabwe.  UNICEF says it needs more than $6 million immediately to address the urgent needs of children in the areas of health, education, and protection.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

The U.N. Children's Fund says the country has entered a new phase of hardship.

With the official inflation rate more than 4,000 percent, UNICEF spokesman in Zimbabwe, James Elder, says the cost of essential goods and services has spiraled out of control.  

"A bread has increased from about 8,000 Zimbabwe dollars to around 42,000 Zimbabwe dollars in a fortnight," Elder said. "Now that kind of four, 500 percent increase is taking the real basics out of the reach of moms and dads, much less things like keeping kids in school and keeping them with books and uniforms.  So, unfortunately, inflation is really spiked² the last few weeks in an environment where people were already finding it very difficult to buffer³ this falling economy.  I think it has just made it ever more difficult." 

Elder tells VOA Zimbabwe has two competing emergencies.  He says the country is suffering from drought, resulting in serious food shortages.  But, he says, the even if a food shortage did not exist, the economic crisis is making it difficult for families to afford basics needs.

Despite the challenges, he says Zimbabwe has been able to maintain its level of acute malnutrition⁴ at around six percent.   He says this is below emergency levels where children might die.

But Elder says chronic⁵ malnutrition, which results in physical and mental disabilities has reached 30 percent, a level not seen for 20 years.  He says orphans⁶ and HIV are the greatest issues in the country. 

"The country has one in four children who are orphaned," Elder said. "That is one-in-four-children who has lost a parent, who have to deal with the psychological trauma⁷ of that.  And, at the same time, have to deal with the fact that they no longer have someone to provide for them.  Maybe they have to live in someone else's house.  Maybe they now do not get the three meals a day.  They get pulled out of school.  A kind of endless stream of traumas⁸ that hit a young child immediately after losing a parent."

Elder says Zimbabwe has the fourth-highest rate of HIV in the world.  He notes the country has wracked up some success in reducing that rate.  But, because of lack of funding, he says UNICEF can no longer carry on with its prevention work. 

UNICEF reports more than half of all new infections occur among young people, especially girls.  As a result, it says life expectancy⁹ in Zimbabwe has dropped from 61 years during the early 1990s to 34 years.

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

3 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

4 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

5 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

6 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

7 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

8 traumas   

n.心灵创伤( trauma的名词复数 )；损伤；痛苦经历；挫折

参考例句：

• She felt exhausted after the traumas of recent weeks. 她经受了最近几个星期的痛苦之后感到精疲力竭。
• Conclusion: Safety lens of spectacles can protect the occurrence of ocular traumas. 结论：安全镜片可以预防眼镜碎片所致的眼外伤。 来自互联网

9 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。