VOA标准英语2010年-Iraqi Refugees Face Difficulties Adjus

In fiscal¹ year 2009, US took in nearly 19,000 Iraqi refugees, but for many refugees from Iraq, starting life anew in America is not easy

Steve Mort | Tampa, Florida 29 January 2010

 
Iraqi immigrants Hayder Abdul-Wahab (left) and his wife Iman study English at their home in Tampa, Florida

The U.S. government has dramatically increased the number of Iraqi refugees it allows into the United States. In fiscal year 2009, the U.S. took in nearly 19,000 Iraqi refugees, up from just 200 in 2006.  But as Steve Mort reports from Tampa, Florida, for many refugees from Iraq, starting life anew in America is not easy.

Learning the language of their new country, Hayder Abdul-Wahab and his wife Iman study English every day. The couple and their two children came to the United States as refugees in 2008.

 

Abdul-Wahab is blind, the result of a bomb blast in Baghdad. He receives limited public assistance, but without a job, he says the money is not enough to support his family.

"The job, it's so hard, it's difficult here," he said.  "Because, you know, I can't work because I am blind, I can't see. My wife, she hopes to get work. She [is] going to everywhere that take applications. All the markets here. But still, she [doesn't] have work."

Abdul-Wahab says his children are adjusting to school in their new country.  But he says he worries he won't be able to afford essentials for Hussein, 5, and Gailan, 9.

Some refugee support groups claim Iraqis are not getting enough help from the U.S. government.

"They're not receiving the basic support they need to provide them some sort of stable future," said Bob Carey with the International Rescue Committee. "The economic decline also made it much more difficult for refugees who are entering this country to find jobs."

Abdul-Wahab keeps in touch with developments in Iraq where he was a security guard for American troops. He fled in 2007, fearing reprisals².

The U.S. State Department's Eric Schwartz says the U.S. spends hundreds of million of dollars annually³ to help displaced people and refugees from Iraq relocate in the U.S. and elsewhere.

"No refugee will be guaranteed success," noted⁴ Schwartz.  "But we are obliged to provide them the resources they need so that they can get on their feet. And if they work hard, like refugees have throughout history, they can succeed."

The Abdul-Wahabs meet regularly with a case worker from a local non-profit agency that helps refugees adjust to their new lives.  Hayder Abdul-Wahab's father and brother were both killed in Iraq. He says he does not regret leaving his country. But he says it will take some time for his family to feel fully⁵ at home in the United States.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

4 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。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。