2006年VOA标准英语-UNICEF: Thousands Of Lebanese, Palestinian Chil

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
09 September 2006

This school building in  Bint Jbeil, Lebanon sustained heavy damage after the Isreali military campaign

UNICEF says it is working with the Education Ministry¹ in Lebanon to have 350,000 Lebanese children in school by mid-October.

But, UNICEF Spokesman Michael Bociurkiw says there are enormous challenges to getting damaged school buildings ready to receive students. He describes the condition of one high school.

"We found that the school is totally unusable.  Panes² of glass are shattered, classrooms are full of debris³, and essential equipment like, you know, science labs are beyond repair," he noted⁴.

Latest estimates find up to 50 schools were destroyed and as many as 300 damaged during the war between Israel and Hezbollah militants⁵ in southern Lebanon.  UNICEF says workers are rushing to clear up the damaged buildings and clean up schools that were used as temporary shelters for people who fled their homes during the fighting.  He says UNICEF is sending essential supplies to all of Lebanon's 1,400 public schools.

In Gaza and the West Bank, UNICEF says 750,000 children are not in school, because teachers have joined a strike by government workers, who have not been paid in months.

The strike is aimed at the Hamas-led Palestinian government. It has not been able to pay most salaries since it took power five months ago because of international sanctions, imposed for its refusal to recognize Israel and renounce⁶ violence.

UNICEF's Bociurkiw says the majority of the more than 1,700 schools in Gaza and the West Bank are either partially⁷ or completely closed.

"The teachers, it is good to point out, I think - some of them have not been paid for up to six months," he added.  "And as you can appreciate, this is on top of the day-to-day distress⁸ they go through, going to and from school because of checkpoints or curfews, and the frustration⁹ over not being able to have a full school day in many instances with their students."

Bociurkiw says UNICEF is distributing $4 million worth of supplies, as part of its back to school program. 

He says children in the West Bank and Gaza have lived through their most dangerous summer since the increase in violence began.  In July alone, 36 children were killed.  Bociurkiw says UNICEF had hoped the new school year would bring a return to normality for these youngsters.

1 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。

2 panes   

窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sun caught the panes and flashed back at him. 阳光照到窗玻璃上，又反射到他身上。
• The window-panes are dim with steam. 玻璃窗上蒙上了一层蒸汽。

3 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

7 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

8 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

9 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。