美国国家公共电台 NPR 'We Are Americans': Somali Refugee Family Reflects On Making A Life In The U.S.

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's Friday, which is when we hear from StoryCorps. Aden Batar had just graduated law school when war broke out in Somalia in 1990. He and his young family were forced to flee to escape violence. They came to the United States and were among the first Somalis resettled in Utah.

Aden and his son Jamal came to StoryCorps to talk about those early days.

JAMAL BATAR: How did you get by when you first arrived?

ADEN BATAR: I got my first job in a factory - started at $4.25. That was the minimum¹ wage back then, but I accepted because I wanted to work. Life was very tough. Some days, I wasn't seeing you and your brother because when I go to work it's, you know, late in the afternoon. And I come home, you're all sleeping. And then I'll go to school.

J BATAR: What were the toughest parts of adjusting to life in Utah?

A BATAR: The food was different, the weather - and you don't have friends. And also we didn't have a place to gather and pray.

J BATAR: Were you ever worried about me?

A BATAR: Always.

J BATAR: It's always just a juggling² act. At school you're somebody. But then you come home, you're another person because of those two distinct³ cultures, two distinct languages. And I can remember, the day 9/11 happened, I was in fifth grade. And somebody threw a milk carton at me, said you f-ing terrorist⁴, what are you doing here?

A BATAR: Are those things worse now?

J BATAR: I get a lot of questions, you know? Where you from? Oh, I'm from Utah. No, where are you really from?

A BATAR: I understand. I took a lot of crap, but we just need to look ahead.

J BATAR: Yeah. I've learned⁵ how to deal with it.

A BATAR: I lived in this community close to half of my life. You were 2 years old when you came here. So I want people to look at us as human beings who went through a lot and survived; that we're a part of them.

J BATAR: That we're American.

A BATAR: We are Americans. And we're not going anywhere.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHRIS ZABRISKIE'S "NIRVANAVEVO")

INSKEEP: That was Aden Batar and his son Jamal. Aden is now director of Refugee⁶ Resettlement for Catholic⁷ Community Services of Utah, which was the same organization that resettled his family. Their interview will be archived along with hundreds of thousands of others at the Library of Congress⁸.

1 minimum   

adj.最低的，最小的；n.最小量，最低限度

参考例句：

• What is the minimum price?最低价是多少？
• Today's minimum temperature is 10℃.今天的最低气温是10℃。

2 juggling   

n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was charged with some dishonest juggling with the accounts. 他被指控用欺骗手段窜改账目。
• The accountant went to prison for juggling his firm's accounts. 会计因涂改公司的帐目而入狱。

3 distinct   

adj.种类不同的，有区别的，清楚的，明显的

参考例句：

• I had the distinct impression that I was being followed.我清楚地感觉到有人跟踪我。
• The party split into two distinct groups.该党分裂成两个截然不同的团体。

4 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

6 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

7 catholic   

adj.天主教的；n.天主教徒

参考例句：

• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
• She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。

8 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。