VOA标准英语2014--马拉卡勒的南苏丹难民生活条件堪忧

 

Displaced S. Sudanese Face Worsening Conditions in Camps 马拉卡勒的南苏丹难民生活条件堪忧

MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN —

Floods, malaria¹ and malnutrition² are making life worse for internally displaced people staying at camps in South Sudan.  In Malakal, the country's second largest city, most people prefer to face difficulties at the U.N. camp rather than return home, where the security situation remains³ fragile.

At a U.N. camp outside Malakal about 20,000 people are crammed⁴ in makeshift shelters. They fled the city, a few kilometers away, after fighting broke out in December between army and anti-government forces.

The health conditions are poor for many here, and they are likely to get worse as the rainy season starts, says physician Belem Caminoa, with the aid group Doctors Without Borders.

"They get flu, common colds, and then if they are malnourished, it's easy to get a severe infection, low respiratory and lung infection, and they become very, very weak. And then diarrhea for sure, because when it's raining, the water stays for days so half of them have diarrhea," explains Dr. Caminoa.

Flooded tents

At this time of year in Malakal, people suffer from scorching⁵ heat one day and flash floods the next. So living in tents become unbearable⁶.

Tibisa Deng and her children have been at the camp since January.  She says despite the camp's poor conditions, she is unwilling⁷ to move back to Malakal even though it's been under government control since April.

"I'm scared to go back because all the soldiers stay there. And they are waiting for war," she said. "And some soldiers kill civilians⁸. If the war breaks, I won't be able to flee fast enough because I have small children. "

A few meters Emilio's shelter is flooded.

"The beds are in the water. People cannot sleep at night," he said.  "Many people stay on the chairs until morning. You can get sick. This water is contaminated. There are diseases."

A grim journey

Sometimes Emilio, makes the grim journey back to see what is left of his house.

A few meters off the road, not far from the U.N. camp, victims of the war decompose⁹ in the open air.

Along the road, an unusual number of people appear to be leaving the town.  Some say they heard gunshots south of town.

Emilio, a teacher, shows what used to be his house.

"This is the house where I live with my family before I run to UNMISS place. We left everything here, and all this thing got looted. There was life. Now there is no life at all."

Malakal has become a ghost town.  Most buildings have been destroyed or looted and mostly soldiers inhabit the ruins. The once busy market is now empty.

"We don't want be in the UNMISS camp," said Emilio. "If there is peace, a lot of IDPS, they will all come back, again to their houses. If the government is serious to maintain peace."

The U.N. is building new camps at the compound to provide better living conditions.  What is unclear is when  people here will be able to find peace outside these gates, so they can rebuild their lives back home.

1 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

2 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

5 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

6 unbearable   

adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的

参考例句：

• It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
• The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 decompose   

vi.分解；vt.（使）腐败，（使）腐烂

参考例句：

• The eggs began to decompose after a day in the sun.鸡蛋在太阳下放了一天后开始变坏。
• Most animals decompose very quickly after death.大多数动物死后很快腐烂。