VOA标准英语2011--Surfers' Helping Hands Impact Beach Communities

Surfers' Helping¹ Hands Impact Beach Communities

It's not uncommon² for surfers to travel the world chasing the best waves. But what is out of the ordinary is how members of Surf for Life pass the time when they're not out on the water. Instead of kicking back and relaxing, they spend their downtime helping build infrastructure³ for coastal⁴ communities.

California native Lissette Perez runs a hotel for surfers near El Cuco beach in El Salvador. She found out about Surf for Life - a grassroots organization which pairs travelers with vital projects in Central America - when a group of surfers from San Francisco stayed at her hotel.

Perez, who also runs a non-profit organization which helps improve educational opportunities in El Salvador, talked with them about her plans to build a high school. They volunteered to help.

“They came down and spent almost two weeks," she says, "About 20 surfers came and worked, hands-on, and helped us finish the foundation and begin the walls on the project.”

The volunteers were members of Surf for Life, which is based in San Francisco. Financial planner and surfer Alex Fang⁵ co-founded it four years ago.

“My friend and I wanted to create an organization that would allow people to travel, but also focus energy towards creating something positive," Fang says.

Surf for Life organizes trips to surfing destinations, where surfers also work on infrastructure projects which promote education in the local communities.

“For us, that includes bridges, things that allow people to access schools, schools themselves, renovating⁶ schools so they’re usable or completing unfinished schools.”

Sierra Brasher, 32, joined the group three months ago. “We’re saying, 'Thank you so much for providing us with your waves and your beaches and as a treat for you, we’re going to build a school in your community because your community needs it.'”

Brasher just returned from a Surf for Life trip to Costa Rica.

“It was the most memorable⁷ week of my entire life," she says. "I got to co-lead a trip of 14 volunteers. We went to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. It’s in a jungle. It’s on this beautiful beach.”

Brasher and her group helped build a two-room elementary school.

“We had a total of 40 volunteers that traveled down there and the first group was laying the foundation," Brasher says. "Then the second group laid the tiles down and they finished the dry wall. Then our group grouted the tiles, cleaned up all the grout, and then we painted the entire interior and exterior⁸ of the two rooms.”

And that wasn't their only project. The group also helped build a soup kitchen which serves the BriBri, a local indigenous⁹ tribe there.

Computer security expert Ian Sharpe was one of the people on Brasher's team.

“I don’t think I ever sweat as much as I had when I was down there in Costa Rica," he says. "I think it was a combination of all of the manual work and then also the climate.”

Still, says Sharpe, it was a rewarding experience.

“You see the smile on the kids’ faces and you know you’re making a lasting¹⁰ impact in the community. At the last day the students all created some thank you cards and thanked us for all the hard work, for helping them build up the school.”

So far, Surf for Life has focused on Central American communities, but co-founder Fang plans to expand.

“We’re looking at potential projects and partnerships¹¹ with a few other organizations in Japan, Africa and in South Asia," Fang says. "We’re looking at Bangladesh and trying to create a women’s center in one of the surfing villages out there.”

While Surf for Life members are building what local communities need, they are also changing perceptions about surfers. They are not interested only in riding the waves and having fun, they also care about the people who live near the beautiful beaches they love.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 fang   

n.尖牙，犬牙

参考例句：

• Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。
• The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。

6 renovating   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The increased production was largely attained by renovating old orchards and vineyards. 通过更新老果园和葡萄园，使生产大大增加。
• Renovating that house will cost you a pretty penny. 为了整修那所房子，你得花很多钱。

7 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

8 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

9 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

10 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

11 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句