VOA慢速英语2019 巴西部落领土面临新的威胁

Brazil Tribal¹ Lands Facing New Threat

Ten years ago, the Macuxi people won a legal battle to expel rice planters from their homeland in northern Brazil. Now, their control over ancestral lands is under attack, this time from Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro.

十年前，马库西人打赢了一场官司，将种植水稻的人驱逐出他们位于巴西北部的家园。如今，他们对祖传土地的控制权受到了威胁，这次的对手是巴西新总统雅伊尔·博尔索纳罗（Jair Bolsonaro）。

The 1.7 million hectares of grassland² lies along the border with Venezuela and Guyana. The area is called Raposa Serra do Sol. It is home to 25,000 native people, many of whom raise cattle.

这片170万公顷的草原位于委内瑞拉和圭亚那边境。该地区被称为Raposa Serra do Sol，这里是25000名当地居民的家园，其中很多人以养牛为业。

But the land is considered highly desirable by farmers and miners. They believe it is rich in minerals such as gold, diamonds, copper³ and niobium. Niobium is a metal used to strengthen steel that Bolsonaro considers “strategic.”

但是这片土地令农民和矿工心驰神往。他们认为这里富含黄金、钻石、铜和铌等矿产。铌是一种用于强化钢铁的金属，博尔索纳罗认为铌是“战略性资产”。

Chief Aldenir Lima is the leader of the 70 Macuxi communities in Raposa Serra do Sol. He told the Reuters news agency, “In the fight for our land rights, 21 of us died. Since then, we recovered what we had lost and today, the farmers’ rice plantations⁴ have been replaced by our cattle...”

利马酋长是Raposa Serra do Sol70个马库西社区的领袖，他告诉路透社：“在争取土地权利的斗争中，我们有21人丧生。从那时起，我们才收回了失去的一切，今天，那些农民的稻田上放养的是我们的牛……”。

But that could change if Bolsonaro follows through on his promise to reexamine the area’s borders. He wants to overturn a ban on industrial farming and mining on indigenous⁵ lands.

但如果博尔索纳罗履行他重新审视该地区边界的承诺，这种情况可能会改变。他想推翻禁止在原住民土地进行工业耕作和采矿的禁令。

Bolsonaro’s first move after becoming president in January was to put indigenous land decisions under Brazil’s Ministry⁶ of Agriculture. That government office is under the control of farm industry representatives who want to open up new areas to extensive farming.

1月份就任巴西总统的博尔索纳罗第一项举措是将原住民的土地决定权交给巴西农业部。该政府办公室由农业产业代表控制，他们希望开辟新区域，进行大规模的农业生产。

The Macuxi fear the return of illegal gold miners and hunters on their lands.

马库西人担心非法淘金者和猎户会重返他们的土地。

Community leader Tereza Pereira de Souza told Reuters, “I want to ask the new president, Jair Bolsonaro, to respect indigenous people and our constitutional rights.”

社区领袖Tereza Pereira de Souza告诉路透社，“我恳请新总统博尔索纳罗尊重原住民以及我们的宪法权利。”

She added: “It took us 30 years to get our land borders legally recognized and registered.”

她补充说：“我们历时30年才让领土边界得到法律认可和登记。”

Brazil’s 900,000 indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of the population. They live on areas of land that make up 13 percent of Brazil.

巴西的90万原住民占总人口的不到1%。而他们生活的地区却占巴西国土面积的13%。

Any attempt to change the reservation’s legal standing⁷ would likely face opposition⁸ from the Supreme⁹ Court. Brazil’s 1988 Constitution protects indigenous land rights.

任何试图改变居留地法律地位的尝试都可能面临最高法院的反对。巴西1988年的宪法保护原住民的土地权利。

Some experts warn that removing that protection would destroy the traditions and languages of the Macuxi and four other tribes in the area.

一些专家警告称，取消这种保护会破坏马库西和该地区其他四个部落的传统和语言。

Martinho de Souza is a Macuxi spiritual leader. He said, “Nature is our life, our blood and our spirit…we were born on this land, we live here and we will die here.”

Martinho de Souza是马库西人的精神领袖。他说：“大自然是我们的生命、血脉和精神……我们生于此，居于此，亦将葬于此。”

Words in This Story

cattle – n. large farm animals; cows

strategic – adj. related to long-term goals or interests

indigenous – n. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment

1 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

2 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

3 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

4 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 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。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。