VOA标准英语2009年-'Children of War' Documents Rehabilitation

By Mariama Diallo
Washington
06 November 2009

American filmmaker Bryan Single explores the rehabilitation¹ process of former child soldiers in northern Ugandan in his new movie "Children of War." The film premiered recently in Washington.

 
Children of War
These boys are the lucky ones who appear in Bryan Single's documentary, Children of War. He's alive to tell about the years that he and thousands of other children spent fighting for the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group.

"It essentially³ focuses on a group of children, about 80 of them in this rehabilitation center," Single explains, "Out of that, three emerged more predominantly than the others…two boys and one girl."

The LRA has been fighting in Northern Uganda for more than 20 years, and has carried its fight into other parts of Africa. The rebels are notorious for their brutality⁴ and for kidnapping children to serve as fighters and sex slaves.

 
Akulu
Single was given full access into these children's lives at the Rachele Rehabilitation Center in northern Uganda. He does not interview them directly. Most of the footage comes from counseling sessions.

"I didn't want to interrupt their counseling sessions, their process of healing by stopping it and asking questions and getting them out their emotional space… that ultimately meant that I did not get their translation until later," Single said.

This is Akulu. When still a child she became this man's wife. Abonga Papa is the former chief priest of LRA leader Joseph Kony, but now renounces⁵ his rebel ties and openly begs for forgiveness.

 
Bryan Single
The film shows the former child soldiers going through a healing process. They pray for forgiveness. They learn to live normal lives again. But when it's time to leave and rejoin their families, new challenges lie ahead. 

Single attended the premier² in Washington and interacted with members of the audience after the screening. Later, several people still had more to say.

Single plans to show Children of War in other parts of the United States. He says more attention needs to be paid to all victims of war, not just former child soldiers.

1 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 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

5 renounces   

v.声明放弃( renounce的第三人称单数 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• Japan renounces all right, title and claim to Formosa and the Pescadores. 日本放弃对福尔摩沙（台湾）及澎湖的一切权利，主张（名称）及所有权。 来自互联网
• He renounces Christianity, temporarily straining his relationship with his parents. 他放弃了基督教信仰，从而与父母的关系暂时变得紧张。 来自互联网