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VOA常速英语2008年-Liberia Tries to Count Citizens

时间:2008-03-28 03:16来源:互联网 提供网友:jassica   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
21 March 2008

For the first time since 1984, Liberian census1 takers are visiting dwellings2 throughout the country to count the inhabitants.  Overall estimates of the post-conflict population range widely from two to four million people.   One area that needs better statistics is the health sector3, as part of efforts to stretch limited funds and help as many people as possible.  VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our regional bureau in Dakar.

Throughout Liberia, houses were chalked up with numbers, a catchy4 tune5 about the census was played on the airwaves. And, billboards6 were erected7 reminding villagers to stay home for three days starting Friday to properly be counted.

Thousands of census-takers are knocking on doors again from the capital Monrovia, to remote, barely accessible areas, trying to count Liberians.

Health Minister Walter Gwenigale says this war-delayed exercise is crucial.

"The census is important for many things in the country," he said.  "And for us, if you want to put facilities in communities based on the size of the population it helps you for better distribution of resources and to meet the needs of the people that you have to work with."

Despite long years of conflict and hundreds of thousands of people killed, Liberia's birthrate appears to have remained very high.  Gwenigale says that it will be interesting to determine how many young people there really are in Liberia.

"Most of the Liberian people are young. You can design programs to meet the needs of the different groups. There are certain diseases that will affect certain age groups," he explained.

He says health surveys actually helped with statistics for organizing the 2005 post war elections, but that the census should be more precise.

"When we were doing polio eradication8, we had to work with community people and we did rough estimates of population sizes and number of children," he recalled.  "So you had some information based on which you were able to say we think we have this many people in this county or in this district and I signed numbers for them for us to have done the election that brought in over 60 representatives and 30 senators.  So there has been some information there, that we have been using, but it will be better, we will have a clearer view, when we do these statistics."

Catherine Gbozee, a community health specialist in a rural, remote area also wants the census to be a success.

"This is very, very important," she said.  "We are very happy for the census because it will help us know the population of the community and it will also help us to know how many community health workers we should be recruiting per population. Because if you want a community health worker to take care of 2,000 people he will not be too effective."

There has been some confusion in a heavily illiterate9 population about what the census is for.  Some Liberians say they thought it was for them to pay taxes, or for young men to be recruited in the post-conflict army; while others thought they would be getting free food, school funds and household equipment, if for example they said their children were not going to school, even if they were, and that they had no television, fridge or generator10, even if they did.

Government officials say a nation must have a census, and that its cost will be worthwhile.  They say the main objective is to better allocate11 mostly donor-funded budget money for development.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 census arnz5     
n.(官方的)人口调查,人口普查
参考例句:
  • A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
  • The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。
2 dwellings aa496e58d8528ad0edee827cf0b9b095     
n.住处,处所( dwelling的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
  • The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 sector yjczYn     
n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形
参考例句:
  • The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
  • The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
4 catchy 1wkztn     
adj.易记住的,诡诈的,易使人上当的
参考例句:
  • We need a new slogan.The old one's not catchy enough.我们需要新的口号,旧的不够吸引人。
  • The chorus is very catchy to say the least.副歌部分很容易上口。
5 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
6 billboards 984a8d026956f1fd68b7105fc9074edf     
n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
  • Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上,却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号
7 ERECTED ERECTED     
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立
参考例句:
  • A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
  • A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。
8 eradication otUzfH     
n.根除
参考例句:
  • The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
  • This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。
9 illiterate Bc6z5     
adj.文盲的;无知的;n.文盲
参考例句:
  • There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
  • I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲,今天也认字了。
10 generator Kg4xs     
n.发电机,发生器
参考例句:
  • All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
  • This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。
11 allocate ILnys     
vt.分配,分派;把…拨给;把…划归
参考例句:
  • You must allocate the money carefully.你们必须谨慎地分配钱。
  • They will allocate fund for housing.他们将拨出经费建房。
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