2006年VOA标准英语-Kenya's Maasai Commemorate 9/11 Victims

By Cathy Majtenyi
Enoosaen, Kenya
11 September 2006

 
Maasai dancers from Enoosaen village in western Kenya commemorate¹ the 9/11 terrorist attacks that took place in the U.S. five years ago
  
On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, a Maasai community in a remote village in western Kenya paid homage² to victims and their families. The elders, who in 2002 had dedicated³ 14 head of cattle to the victims' families, say they continue to think about those who lost their lives in the violence.

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The 14 cattle and their offspring graze on a farm near the village of Enoosaen. Maasai elders had deemed the animals sacred, never to be eaten or given away, but to act as a permanent reminder⁴ of the day on which thousands had lost their lives.

Meanwhile, just up the hill, an American delegation⁵ headed by U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger arrives for the ceremony, flanked by hundreds of community members wrapped in their bright red traditional cloths and beaded necklaces.

In addition to remembering the September 11 victims and their families, organizers say the ceremony is meant to cement the bond of friendship between this community and the American people that began in 2002.

Ranneberger tells the gathering⁶ that, following the publicity⁷ of the cattle donation, some 40,000 Americans sent letters, cards, and drawings thanking the Maasai people.

"But, while the cattle could not be physically⁸ moved to the United States, I want to assure the people of this community of one thing: your gift achieved its objective. You did ease the pain and suffering of the people of the United States," he said. "Tomorrow, back home, the people of the United States will be reminded that in a remote village of western Kenya that does not have skyscrapers⁹ or fighter planes or concerns that international terrorists will disrupt their lives, that the Maasai of Enoosaen again express their solidarity¹⁰ with the American people."

The Maasai elders, in turn, say they are personally affected¹¹ by what happened to the 9/11 victims and their families.  

American Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger shakes hands with Kimeli Willson Naiyomah   
  
The elders came to know about the events of September 11 through Kimeli Willson Naiyomah, a young man from Enoosaen who was poor and homeless. With funds raised from the community and a scholarship, Naiyomah pursued his undergraduate degree at Stanford University in the United States.

On September 11th, Naiyomah was visiting New York and saw the World Trade Center towers falling. A few months later, he returned to Enoosaen to undergo a ceremony that would make him a community elder, and told people in the village what he had seen.

"Americans embraced me like their baby, like their child. They did not look at my poverty. When the tragedy of 9/11 happened, you can see why I was emotionally devastated¹² just like an American, and I felt like I was an American too," said Naiyomah. "It created that deep emotional distress¹³ that an American boy from Alabama would have felt."

The elders were moved by Naiyomah's story and were distressed¹⁴ that a country that provided education for one of their own underwent such suffering.

Maasai elder Oltetia ole Pempa Semeyioi (left) stands with American Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger  
  
Maasai elder Oltetia ole Pempa Semeyioi tells VOA what happened next. Semeyioi says the community elders talked about what occurred on September 11th and decided¹⁵ to volunteer the main resource they have, their cattle, because, in his words, cattle is a handkerchief to wipe the tears of the American people.

In Maasailand, cattle mean much more than just a source of food.

The cow is central to the Maasai culture explained Elder Ole Yiamboi. One of two things will happen if anyone touches a Maasai cow, he says: either the cow's owner will die, or the person touching¹⁶ the cow will die.

Yiamboi explains to the gathering that a man cannot get married unless he gives his bride's family a number of cows.

As well, during different stages of growing up, children are required to give their fathers cows to pass certain rights of passage. For instance, he says, a son must give his father a cow to earn the right to shake his father's hand.

At Sunday's event, Ambassador Ranneberger announced that the American embassy in Nairobi is providing 14 four-year secondary school scholarships to Maasai youth studying in Enoosaen in memory of the September 11 victims.

The elders promise to donate the offspring of the original 14 cattle to a Maasai scholarship fund.

In an agreement signed at the event, Maasai elders say education is valuable in the struggle against international terrorism as the tool most likely to break down barriers of cultural misunderstanding.

1 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

2 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

3 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

4 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

5 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

9 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

13 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。

14 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

15 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。

16 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。