2007年VOA标准英语-All Work and No Play for Indians Living in Daka

By Selah Hennessy
Dakar
12 July 2007

The small group of Indians living in Dakar say they came to the city to make money. Because they work long hours and do not intend to remain in Dakar, the Indians, unlike those in many other expatriate communities, have not formed a cohesive¹ community within the city. Selah Hennessy reports from Dakar.

Two shop assistants at a grocery store in Dakar are speaking together in Hindi. Along with their boss, they are three of only around 200 Indians who have immigrated² to the bustling³ Senegalese capital.

In their shop you can hear Hindi pop playing in the background, and on the shelves you can find anything from Chicken Darbari to a wide selection⁴ of saris and Punjabi suits and dresses.

Hareesh Chugani, who owns the store and has been living in Dakar for five years, says most of his customers are European. He says few Indians want to come to Senegal, partly because French is spoken here, not English.

"Most of the Indians, they prefer Anglophone," he noted⁵.  "And apart from that there is too much bureaucracy⁶ in the French colonies, so it takes a lot of time for them to understand it and get into the system."

Chugani spends most days at another shop he owns in central Dakar before working evenings at this store. He says many Indians in Dakar work equally hard and that with such a strong focus on business most remain isolated⁷ from Senegalese cultural life.

"Most of the time we are busy in our businesses," he added.  "We actually do not find so much time to get around."

Lalith Kumar, who moved to Dakar with his brother just over a year ago, says that Indians living in Dakar have not formed a strong community.

"Everyone is busy in their own business, they don't want to meet each other," he explained.  "That's all."

But he says more Indians are now coming to Dakar to do business because competition is low compared to other countries at the same level of development.

"Some people are doing import export. There are many people starting business here. It's very successful here, they are making money," he said.

But business is not the focus for every Indian living in Dakar.  Kumar's brother, Dharam Bhojwani, says he likes Dakar, because he loves the Senegalese music, and spends most of his free time listening to local groups play.

"Senegal's music is for me like a hobby. I like a lot of music, but Senegal's music is very different. And it will leave me happy in my heart," he noted.

But Bhojwani, like most Indians here, says he will go home after he has earned money. 

"Until my [time is done here here I will do my] job," he said.  " After I [finish] I will go back to India, I will settle there with my business and I will be happy with my parents."

A strong political bond once united Africa and India.  Following India's emancipation⁸ from British rule, the country championed the cause of colonial⁹ freedom in Africa and on that basis ties with the continent ran deep.

Forty years on, the relationship between Senegal and India has remained strong, with a new focus on investment and trade that has seen India become one of Senegal's most important trading partners.

Recently, the Indian government has begun sending money for the development of Indian companies in West Africa, and its effects are already being seen in Senegal, where there has been a steady growth in the number of Indians moving into the country.  The Indians here hope this may one day lead to a more cohesive community within Dakar.

1 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

2 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

3 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

4 selection   

n.选择，挑选，精选品，可选择的东西

参考例句：

• We left the selection of the team to the captain.我们把挑选队员的工作交给了队长。
• The shop has a fine selection of cheeses.那家商店有各种精美乳酪可供选购。

5 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。

6 bureaucracy   

n.官僚主义，官僚机构，（非民选的）委任官员

参考例句：

• The bureaucracy has become ossified.官僚主义已变得僵化了。
• Bureaucracy may be said as a disease in our very vitals.官僚主义可说是我们的心腹之患。

7 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

8 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 colonial   

adj.殖民地的，关于殖民的；n.殖民地，居民

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• The people of Africa have successfully fought against colonial rule.非洲人民成功地反抗了殖民统治。