2007年VOA标准英语-Rwandans Say Reconciliation Achieved by Forgivi

By Noel King
Gwesero, Rwanda
11 September 2007

Rwanda's 1994 genocide shook the world with images of brutality², as ethnic³ tensions in the central African nation flared⁴ into a frenzy⁵ of violence. In a little over three months, an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered. The aggressors were Hutu militias⁶ known as interahamwe, as well as many ordinary Rwandans, including women and children. Thirteen years later, Rwandans say there is only one way to move past the horrors of genocide: forgiveness. For VOA, Noel King has this report from Gwesero, Rwanda.

Man at the "genocide cemetary" of Kigali, Rwanda (file photo)

Members of the Nshuti social club are on their way out for an afternoon excursion to Gwesero Lake, north of the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

Club members gather weekly to play sports and work on small development projects around Rwanda. Packed into a cramped⁷ bus, they are merry and excited about the trip.

But the group grows silent as the bus approaches a reminder⁸ of Rwanda's troubled history. A sign by the lake notes that Gwesero is the only place in Rwanda where no one was killed during the genocide.

Club President Mustafa Uwihorewe reflected on changes in recent years. "In the past years, the government taught us to hate one another, to kill one another," he said. "Nowadays, they're trying to educate us. We're one people. We were fighting for nothing," he said.

The group has both Hutu and Tutsi members, though, like most Rwandans, none of the members identify themselves by ethnicity anymore.

Some members call themselves survivors¹⁰ of the genocide. Some prefer not to talk about it. Almost none will discuss specific memories of April 1994.

Outside of Rwanda, many people wonder how it is possible for Rwandans to forgive one another for the brutal¹ bloodshed that took place.

It seems forgiveness is possible by placing blame not on individuals, but on Rwanda's former government.

Rwandans overwhelmingly pin responsibility for the genocide on the previous Hutu-dominated administration, which incited¹¹ ethnic tensions between Hutus and Tutsis.

Ambassador Richard Sezibera, Rwanda's special advisor¹² to the Great Lakes Region, he credits a regime change for the progress. "Rwandans have rehabilitated¹³ and reconstructed their country. They're involved in a process of national reconciliation¹⁴. I think the key has been leadership; people-centered, people-conscious leadership that is determined¹⁵ to learn from history but not be tied down by that history," he said.

While many Rwandans say education and dialogue are the best ways to move forward, many more promote intermarriage.

While Hutus and Tutsis always intermarried in Rwanda, now the practice is actively¹⁶ promoted - and increasingly popular.

 

Of course, no steps could be taken without forgiveness. "We have no choice but to forgive one another. We have no choice but to forgive if we want to live together peacefully," said Josephine Uzayisengo, a member of the Nshuti club and a genocide survivor⁹.

Though Rwandans don't like to be known as a nation of tragedy, they say no good will come of forgetting what happened here.

Consolee Katsenjerwa, another genocide survivor, lost most of her family in 1994. She says her personal motto is a phrase that has great meaning for many here. "We have to forgive but we can't forget," she said.

 

The Nshuti group will meet again next week. And while they identify themselves simply as a group of friends with a social conscience who like to play sports together, they are also living proof of the progress forged by forgiveness.

1 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

2 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

5 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作

8 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

9 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

10 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

11 incited   

刺激，激励，煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He incited people to rise up against the government. 他煽动人们起来反对政府。
• The captain's example incited the men to bravery. 船长的榜样激发了水手们的勇敢精神。

12 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

13 rehabilitated   

改造（罪犯等）( rehabilitate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使恢复正常生活； 使恢复原状； 修复

参考例句：

• He has been rehabilitated in public esteem. 公众已恢复对他的敬重。
• Young persons need to be, wherever possible, rehabilitated rather than punished. 未成年人需要受到尽可能的矫正而不是惩罚。

14 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

15 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

16 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

17 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

18 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。