随着选举的到来,南非成为世界上最不平等的国家

As Election Arrives, South Africa World’s Most Unequal Country

The towns of Sandton and Alexandra tell a painful story about inequality in South Africa. The towns sit side-by-side outside the city of Johannesburg. But while one town is extremely rich, the other is extremely poor.

Sandton is known as Africa’s “richest square mile.” It has tall, shiny buildings and wealthy properties. Beside it, Alexandra – also called “Alex” – is a crowded black township that suffers from heavy crime. Alex was once the home of Nelson Mandela.

Even the air in Sandton feels different says activist¹ Thembeni Manana. She notes that many people travel from Alexandra to Sandton every day to work in its shops and homes. In Sandton the air feels fresh, she says, as if people were using their air conditioners outside. But in Alex, she says, the air smells like waste and rats.

Angry protests took place in Alexandra in April, in part the result of campaigning for this week’s national election. But the protesters’ main criticism was not about the candidates. It was that South Africa should be far less unequal than it is now.

Unemployment in the country of 56 million people has risen past 25 percent. There are tire-burning protests almost every day over the lack of basic services in mostly black neighborhoods. Whites still control much of the wealth, while blacks cut their grass and clean their homes.

Fazila Farouk and Murray Leibbrandt are with the Southern Africa Labor² and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape³ Town. Last year, they wrote that they found no whites living below the middle class. Instead, whites have improved their economic states since apartheid because South Africa’s economy sends such a large part of its national income to the top 10 percent.

Farouk and Leibbrandt wrote that half of South Africans are in homes with per capita earnings⁴ of 1,149 rand ($90) or less a month. And they have little chance to change this situation even though they work hard as security guards or housekeepers⁵.

Thembeni Manana knows the feeling well. The 28-year-old activist works with the Greater Alexandra Chamber⁶ of Commerce. Manana helped plan last month’s protests.

“With us, we decided⁷ enough is enough. We want to challenge the system,” she said.

Manana presented a list of demands, including that:

Schools in Alexandra should have 30 children for each teacher instead of 70.

Street sellers should be permitted to supply their products to food stores. This would help them take part in the larger economy.

Children should be able to grow up in homes with more than one room so family members have privacy⁸.

Criticisms like those discussed by Manana are not limited to Alexandra but exist in many of South Africa’s black townships. And this week’s election likely will show how tired the public is of asking again and again for change.

South Africa was once famous for its long lines of voters in the first democratic election 25 years ago, but that has changed.

“I think people are just tired of voting,” Manana said.

She said voters see that political parties are “only out to play during election time” but then disappear until the next election.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

square mile – n. a unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square with each side length of one standard mile

township – n. often underdeveloped racially segregated⁹ areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of apartheid, were reserved for non-whites

air conditioner – n. a machine that is used to cool and dry the air in a building or room

tire – n. a rubber ring that usually contains air and that fits around the wheel of a vehicle, such as a car or bike

per capita – adj. by or for each person

challenge – v. to question the action or authority of someone

1 activist   

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。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

4 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

5 housekeepers   

n.（女）管家( housekeeper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Can you send up one of your housekeepers to make bed? 请你派个女服务员来整理床铺好吗？ 来自互联网
• They work as gas station attendants, firemen, housekeepers,and security personnel. 本句翻译：机器人也能够作为煤气站的服务员，救火队员等保安作用。 来自互联网

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。

9 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。