2006年VOA标准英语-Art Therapy a Creative Solution for Senegalese

By Rose Skelton
Dakar
07 September 2006

As in other parts of the world, doctors in Africa are coming to understand the value of art therapy for psychiatric patients. For the last two years, patients with mental difficulties have been taking part in Senegal's first art therapy program, resulting in exhibitions around the country.

In a small outdoor workspace at the back of Dakar's principal hospital, a small group of people sit quietly painting at trestle tables.

Beside them, washing brushes and helping¹ the artists to apply colors to their colorful creations, is Jacob Okbus, a Dakar-based Nigerian artist who volunteers at the hospitals psychiatry² unit.

"I work here every Tuesday, at Dakar principal hospital, with the sick patients, the psychiatry patients. I find that each time I come and work with them, they love painting, it makes them easily forget their problems and they enjoy doing the painting," he said.

This art therapy program is the brainchild of Eric Cao, one of the psychiatry unit's doctors. The program involves some of Dakar's best artists, working alongside people with mental difficulties.

He says they were looking for something which would be at the same time therapeutic³ as well as occupy the patients. He wanted to propose activities to the patients which would also be a form of treatment.

Calling on the city's French cultural center, Dr. Cao was put in touch with Moussa Sakho, one of Senegal's most successful artists who had previously⁴ done art workshops with children.

Sakho then gathered a group of artists so that the workshops could be run every afternoon by a different artist.

The painter found that many of the patients who came to his workshops were producing exceptional pieces of work, good enough to exhibit in Dakar's 2006 bi-ennial art exhibition.

He says that in the world of art, there is always hidden talent. He says he finds many talented artists and that for him, art is just a skillful way of doing something and that these people are very skilled. He says he sees young artists of a really high level and that that inspires him.

All the pieces of work produced in the workshops are for sale. The proceeds go towards buying art materials and medicine for patients who do not have the money themselves.

Dr. Cao says there are medical as well as social benefits in offering the patients an alternative to purely⁵ pharmaceutical⁶ treatment.

He says that some of the patients are completely cured, and that even if some are not cured, they can get some artistic⁷ pleasure from the therapy. He says that also, some of the patients will produce a work of art and people will see it and it can change the patients status in society.

Michel, a Senegalese man who studied in the United States, says he has problems with his nerves. He has just had his first experience of painting, helped by some of the programs longer-term members.

"I intend to come back next week, and I hope that I'll be more focused next week and Ill take on further painting and I think that painting will help me be able to adjust my problems," he said.

Sakho, the artist helping with the program, has applied⁸ for funding to build a new workshop space away from the hospital so that former patients can carry on with their artwork without having to return to the hospital.

He says that this will help them to feel more confident and carry on producing their exceptional pieces of art.

1 helping   

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。

2 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

3 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

6 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

7 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

8 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。