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VOA慢速英语2015 非洲移民到达意大利发现了传说中的“天使”

时间:2015-05-03 13:33:10

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AS IT IS 2015-04-30 UMigrants Arriving in Italy Find an 'Angel' 非洲移民到达意大利发现了传说中的“天使”

Immigrants continue arriving in southern Italy from North Africa. These migrants faced a dangerous trip when they sailed across the Mediterranean2 Sea. They reach land only to face an unknown future in Europe.

On the island of Sicily, there is an activist3 ready to help the refugees on their journey. She lives in the city of Catania. The woman is known to some as "the angel of the migrants."

Among the crowd of Syrian refugees in Catania station, it is the number of children that is striking. There are babies just a few weeks old. These Syrians have fled civil war. And they have spent up to 20 days at sea in an old fishing boat.

The refugees are tired. They have little money and few belongings4. What they do bring with them are stories of terror and loss. The refugees who survived the boat ride to Italy now start the next part of their trip – a night train ride to the city of Milan.

In Catania, a man describes what forced him to flee his home in Rif Al Sham5, a community near Damascus. His name is Ahmad Anwar Fares.

He says they bombed his house, killing6 his 4-month-old daughter when part of the building fell on her. Mr. Fares says he has two sons. After the bombing of his home, he says, he immediately got his boys and left.

For the migrants arriving in Catania, there is at least one friendly face waiting for them.

Nawal Soufi is a Moroccan-Italian woman. She is known as the “Angel of the Migrants.” Ms. Soufi and her friends offer baby food and clothes to the new arrivals, along with words of advice.

She says to them, "I love you all. You are my family. God bless you and may you achieve your dreams."

Nawal Soufi is part of a network of activists7 helping8 migrants in Italy. Part of the work of the activists is helping migrants avoid being exploited, or used, by con1 men. Ms. Soufi explains.

On this day, she says, a group of con men offered to drive them to the north for 500 euros each. She explains to the migrants that they have the right to take a train and that the police cannot stop them.

Ms. Soufi says she helps the migrants so she can "feel like a human being" when she returns home at night; so she does not feel she is a part of the tragedy; so she does not feel she has the blood of these people on her hands.

After leaving North Africa, migrants often call Ms. Soufi from a satellite phone so she can then alert the coast guard. This has earned her the nickname "Lady SOS." SOS is the international Morse code signal for help.  

But not all those fleeing Syria are lucky enough to reach Italian waters. Earlier this month, up to 900 migrants died when their boat sank off Libya. Ms. Soufi says she is angry at Europe's inaction.

And she asks some hard questions: “How is it possible that Europe cannot guarantee a humanitarian9 passage from Syria? And why cannot each European country take a share of these migrants? "

“Europe is considered a group of democratic countries,” she adds, “where everyone knows about human rights. Perhaps they only know about democracy on paper. Nine hundred is not just a number,” she says. “It is 900 people.”

The migrants at Catania have survived that deadly trip. Now they face new fears.

Nawal Soufi goes to the train station to say ‘good bye’ to the migrants when they leave for Milan.

She urges them to be strong. She will return the next day, ready to help another wave of migrants arriving on this corner of Europe's southern shores.

Words in This Story

striking – adj. unusual or extreme in a way that attracts attention

network – n. a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other

exploit – v. to use (someone or something) in a way that helps you unfairly

con man – n. informal a man who cheats or tricks someone by means of a confidence game

satellite phone – n. a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of cell sites on earth


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1 con WXpyR     
n.反对的观点,反对者,反对票,肺病;vt.精读,学习,默记;adv.反对地,从反面;adj.欺诈的
参考例句:
  • We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
  • The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票,协议被通过。
2 Mediterranean ezuzT     
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的
参考例句:
  • The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
  • Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。
3 activist gyAzO     
n.活动分子,积极分子
参考例句:
  • He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
  • He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
4 belongings oy6zMv     
n.私人物品,私人财物
参考例句:
  • I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
  • Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。
5 sham RsxyV     
n./adj.假冒(的),虚伪(的)
参考例句:
  • They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
  • His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。
6 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
7 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 helping 2rGzDc     
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。
9 humanitarian kcoxQ     
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者
参考例句:
  • She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业,并作了很大的贡献。
  • The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

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