VOA常速英语2008年-Rape in Kenya Used as Weapon in Political Unres

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
01 February 2008

A United Nations report released February 1 shows rape¹ is being used as a weapon in Kenya as the country is roiled² in ethnic³ violence since the December elections.  The survey of rape victims was conducted in the Nairobi Women's Hospital between December 27 and January 20 and describes the cases of 152 women, children and men who were sexually assaulted during the violence that broke out after Kenya's disputed presidential election at the end of December.   Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. 

Included in the 152 cases surveyed are 12 men and 63 children below 18 years of age.  The rest are adult females.  The report says the youngest survivor⁴ is a one-year-old child and the oldest a 58-year-old woman.

The report describes horrific cases of sexual abuse, gang rape, extreme physical brutality⁵ and severe psychological trauma⁶.

U.N. Humanitarian⁷ spokeswoman, Elizabeth Byrs, says sexual violence is a symptom of the collapse⁸ of the social order in Kenya brought about by post election conflict.  But she says it is also being used by parties to the conflict.  

"It also is being used as a tool to terrorize families and individuals and precipitate⁹ their expulsion from their communities in which they live," she said.  "Whatever the motivation, the perpetrators are exploiting the conflict in order to commit sexual violence with impunity¹⁰.  In too many settings, survivors¹¹ have no access to even the most minimal¹² health and psychological support, leaving them vulnerable to widespread trauma and potential negative health outcome, including HIV/AIDS." 

Many survivors say they were reluctant to report the sexual attacks against them, because they had no confidence in the ability of the police to protect them.

The U.N. report says cases of sexual assault are grossly underestimated and the real number of rape victims is believed to be much higher than the officially reported figures.

The U.N. Children's Fund reports that women in camps for displaced people say rape and sexual abuse are happening on a large scale.

UNICEF spokeswoman, Veronique Taveau, says women and children who have been raped¹³ are threatened with reprisal¹⁴ if they talk of their experience.

"One of our staff was in a camp when a group of women came to her and said listen this is happening on a nightly basis," she noted¹⁵.  "And, when she was told that, then a group of men came and said. 'Okay listen, stop it because if you keep saying that, if you keep giving testimonies¹⁶ to international organizations, then there will be retaliation¹⁷ against you and against your children.'  We can imagine that those women are living in fear.  And, it is very, very difficult for them to let us know what is going on exactly." 

United Nations agencies say they cannot stop the violence.  They say the Kenyan government must be responsible for protecting its citizens.   They note that the government is not living up to its task.

1 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

2 roiled   

v.搅混（液体）( roil的过去式和过去分词 )；使烦恼；使不安；使生气

参考例句：

• American society is being roiled by the controversy over homosexual marriage. 当今美国社会正被有关同性恋婚姻的争论搞得不得安宁。 来自互联网
• In the past few months, instability has roiled Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas. 在过去的几个月里，西藏和藏人居住区不稳定。 来自互联网

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 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。

5 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

6 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。

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 precipitate   

adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物

参考例句：

• I don't think we should make precipitate decisions.我认为我们不应该贸然作出决定。
• The king was too precipitate in declaring war.国王在宣战一事上过于轻率。

10 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

11 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

12 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

13 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

14 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 testimonies   

（法庭上证人的）证词( testimony的名词复数 )； 证明，证据

参考例句：

• Davie poured forth his eloquence upon the controversies and testimonies of the day. 戴维向他滔滔不绝地谈那些当时有争论的问题和上帝的箴言。
• Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies. 22求你除掉我所受的羞辱和藐视，因我遵守你的法度。

17 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》