voa标准英语2008-Zimbabwe Declares National Cholera Emergency

The state-owned Herald¹ newspaper says the Zimbabwe government is seeking international assistance and has declared a state of emergency about its cholera² outbreak. The United Nations says the outbreak has claimed 565 lives and caused illness in 12,500. The announcement comes as sporadic³ demonstrations⁴ continue to grip parts of the capital Harare, resulting in a number of arrests, mainly in the capital.
　

Children collect water from a well in Harare, Zimbabwe, 05 Dec 2008

The Herald reports the Zimbabwe government wants emergency international help and has declared a national emergency over cholera and the failing health system. The newspaper quotes Health Minister David Parirenyatwa as telling a meeting of aid groups that Zimbabwe needs help to reduce deaths and to revive the health system.

Parirenyatwa says hospitals are "literally⁵ not functioning" and demotivated staff are not reporting for duty. He listed numerous basic items no longer available in hospitals, such as drugs, food, equipment, laundry equipment, X-ray films and boilers⁶.

Parirenyatwa is asking for $1.5 million a month, for incentives⁷ to health workers. He says donors⁸ have already granted $7 million, beginning in January, but says the government needs an additional $11 million, immediately.

The Zimbabwe government is also seeking nearly $4 million to purchase water purification chemicals for the next two months. The state-run water company was forced to cut water to Harare for 48 hours, after it ran out of aluminum⁹ sulphate, used to purify water.

Earlier this week, South Africa announced the Limpopo River, on its northern border with Zimbabwe, tested positive for cholera at points where Zimbabweans are known to cross illegally into South Africa, forcing people to dig shallow wells and sparking a trade in water-selling.

One Zimbabwean, who preferred not to give his name, who crossed into the country says the situation is critical in southeastern Zimbabwe and reports many deaths in one regional hospital at Chiredzi.

"People are dying every day. Especially in Chiredzi, hospital in Chiredzi," he said. "The day we departed, there were about 362 people reported to be dead because of cholera. In one hospital, in one provincial¹⁰ hospital. It is very critical."

These developments come as spontaneous protests, fueled by anger and frustration¹¹ about the worsening cholera outbreak and the rapid decline in the economy, continue to erupt sporadically¹² in the country, especially in Harare.

Several protests have involved soldiers who have been unable to draw money from banks and who are hungry because they are not receiving meals in their barracks. And, police have broken up demonstrations organized by trade unions and health workers and thrown uniformed soldiers off buses headed into town.

Three journalists covering these events were arrested. Police have also targeted activists¹⁴, arresting six. One human rights activist¹³, Jestina Mukoko, was abducted¹⁵ from her home, 30 kilometers north of Harare, at dawn Wednesday. Amnesty International reported that her abductors, a group of about 15 men, identified themselves as policemen.

The Zimbabwe central bank announced it had issued a $100 million note, up from $10 million, but is now restricting each customer to two withdrawals¹⁶ per week. Even so, long lines continue to form each day as customers try to access their funds from banks.

1 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

2 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

3 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 boilers   

锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。

7 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

11 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

12 sporadically   

adv.偶发地，零星地

参考例句：

• There are some trees sporadically around his house. 他的房子周围零星地有点树木。 来自辞典例句
• As for other aspects, we will sporadically hand out questionnaires. 在其他方面，我们会偶尔发送调查问卷。 来自互联网

13 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

14 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

16 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句