VOA慢速英语2015 贝鲁特居民争取Dalieh海岸线

AS IT IS 2015-08-08 Beirut Residents Fight for Dalieh Coastline 贝鲁特居民争取Dalieh海岸线

Beirut’s waterfront area of Dalieh is one of the few public stretches of coastline in Lebanon.

But that could soon change. This past May, developers came to Dalieh with the hope of building hotels and other properties. Their bulldozers destroyed the homes of some fishermen in the area.

Now, one group is fighting to save Dalieh and reclaim¹ Lebanon’s coast.

An uncertain future

Mahmoud el Ali fears the bulldozers that destroyed the homes of his friends and other fishermen will return. Mr. Ali started fishing at Dalieh at the age of 12.  For the past 15 years, he has worked from a shack² -- a small, wooden structure -- next to the Mediterranean³ Sea.

“I spent my lifetime here,” he told VOA. “It is where I earn my money. I am like a fish; if you move me from here, I will die.”

The shack he now shares with other fishermen remains⁴ under threat. But there is growing support for people like him.

Resisting development

Activists⁵ are battling to keep the coastline open to all people. They organized the Civil Campaign to Protect Dalieh. The group holds protests to spread its message. It has also launched a legal action against the government.

The group says the coastal⁶ area includes limestone⁷ caves and lagoons⁹, and rare animals and plants. Earlier this year, Lebanon’s ministry¹⁰ of environment announced an order to protect the area.

Abir Saksouk-Sasso is with the Civil Campaign to Protect Dalieh.

“What’s happening in Dalieh is actually happening along the entire coast.”

Source of investment

Dalieh reportedly has several owners. Reports say the family of Rafik Hariri is among them. The late Rafik Hariri was Lebanon’s prime minister and played a major part in the redevelopment of Beirut. He was killed in 2005.

The campaigners like Ms. Saksouk-Sasso are demanding to keep the site completely open. Others have different ideas.

Bilal Hamad is the mayor of Beirut. He told VOA he has seen proposals for the site that included hotels and apartments. Mr. Hamad said he had worked with the owners to ensure the plan included both private development and public access to the coast. He said it would leave almost a sixth of the current area free for the public to enjoy.

Offering an alternative

Those who wish to keep Dalieh open to the general public do not support the private development plans. They say city officials should be doing more to protect the land.

They are prepared to offer another possibility. The Civil Campaign to Protect Dalieh launched a competition for proposals. They called for plans centered on keeping the area public and protecting its ecosystem¹¹.

The campaign recently announced the winners. Architect Adib Dada was among them.

“We wanted to show people that there is an alternative to what is being proposed,” Mr. Dada said. He suggested ecotourism and boat tours as ways to make money while still protecting the site’s biodiversity.

“People have lost hope in our institutions, and in our government being able to provide for our rights and not bend to political or financial pressure. We want to give that story of hope,” he said.

Not far from Dalieh is Ramlet al Baida, Beirut’s only public beach. It is also said to be under threat of development. Ms. Saksouk-Sasso says she believes success in Dalieh could lead more people in Lebanon to fight for the public coastline.

Words in This Story

bulldozer – n. a powerful and heavy vehicle that has a large curved piece of metal at its front and that is used for moving dirt and rocks and pushing over trees and other structures

shack – n. a small house or building that is not put together well

lagoon⁸ – n. an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar

access – n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone

ecosystem – n. everything that exists in a particular environment; an ecosystem includes living things, such as plants and animals, and things that are not living, such as rocks, soil, sunlight, and water.

1 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

2 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

3 Mediterranean   

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。

4 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。

5 activists   

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》

6 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。

7 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

8 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

9 lagoons   

n.污水池( lagoon的名词复数 )；潟湖；（大湖或江河附近的）小而浅的淡水湖；温泉形成的池塘

参考例句：

• The Islands are by shallow crystal clear lagoons enclosed by coral reefs. 该群岛包围由珊瑚礁封闭的浅水清澈泻湖。 来自互联网
• It is deposited in low-energy environments in lakes, estuaries and lagoons. 它沉淀于湖泊、河口和礁湖的低能量环境中，也可于沉淀于深海环境。 来自互联网

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。