VOA标准英语2009年-Tamil Communities in Southeast Asia Prepar

Tamil communities across Southeast Asia are preparing to contribute aid to thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils displaced by the fighting that ended almost three decades of conflict. But the fighting that claimed thousands of lives over recent months has also left deep scars within the Tamil population across the region.
　
Sri Lankan child celebrates military victory over Tamil Tiger rebels in Colombo, 20 May 2009

The United Nations says it will take $50 million in emergency relief over the next three months to help rebuild the lives of the 300,000 Tamils displaced in northern Sri Lanka.

After fleeing weeks of fighting, they are now housed in more than 20 government camps.

The World Food Program has been providing meals at the government screening point at Omanthai. WFP country director Adnan Khan says many of the displaced are traumatized.

"The people who are coming out you would appreciate have suffered from multiple displacement¹ inside - they are coming out of the conflict zone - so clearly they are traumatized. They are also dehydrated. They have been traveling. There are cases of under-nutrition especially among the vulnerable groups such as elderly people, such as children under five, pregnant and lactating mothers," explained Khan.

The Tamil Tiger rebels fought the Sri Lankan government to establish a separate homeland for ethnic² Tamils in the island's north. They said a separate nation was needed because of discrimination and abuse by Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority, which dominates the government. More than 70,000 people most of them civilians³, died in the war.
　
The picture released by the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry⁴, 16 May 2009, allegedly shows government troops inspecting heavy weapons captured from Tamil Tiger rebels in northeastern Mullaittivu district

Government forces overran the final remnants of the Tamil Tiger rebels earlier this week in a final bloody⁵ conclusion to more than 25 years of fighting. The battle forced hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes.

Humanitarian⁶ groups and several governments have criticized the Sri Lankan government because it has given aid workers little access to the displacement camps. The United Nations says access needs to be "full and unimpeded".

Suresh Bartlett, the World Vision director in Sri Lanka, says his agency's key concern is the more than 60,000 children caught in the war.

"Our focus has been the children. Certainly they have been traumatized over a long period of time," said Bartlett. "They have lost family members - parents, brothers, sisters. There have been people dying all around them - and they've been scarred and I think the issue is (that) psycho-socio support and counseling is absolutely critical."

Regional Tamil organizations are preparing to help. In Malaysia, home to almost two million ethnic Tamils, plans are underway to send members of parliament to Sri Lanka to assess the needs.

S. Pasupathi, a lawyer with the World Tamil Relief Fund in Kuala Lumpur, says it is important to ensure aid goes directly to those in need.

"Once we've got the green light and we can send these parliamentarians - they can go there and assess and they can let us know what are the immediate⁷ needs for shelter, clothing, sanitation⁸, and education, and things like that. Then we want to make sure we want to whatever assistance we give goes directly to the internally displaced people," said Pasupathi.

But Pasupathi adds that providing emergency relief is just a first step in rebuilding the Tamil community.

"Until the Sri Lankan government recognizes the Tamils have to live with self-respect and dignity and be a part and parcel of the total Sri Lankan community, I think it's going to be very difficult situation," he said.

Pasupathi says the Fund thinks more than 10,000 Tamils had died in the past three months of fighting. There are fears that more will die because of a shortage of medical care in the camps.

In Singapore, Nara Singhan is the vice¹⁰ president of the Ceylon Tamil Association. He says that although the Sri Lankan president has called for national unity⁹ now that the civil war is ended, the government still needs to come forward with a long-term political solution.

"You beat them militarily, but it's the beginning of another problem, which will go on for generations," said Singhan. "What they are doing is very foolish - they should give a political solution and the whole thing would be over - but they don't what to do that - they are not talking about that. So are they going to humiliate¹¹ the Tamil's further?"
　
Ahsan Uwise, a businessman from Sri Lanka, says his country faces a long road to recovery

In Bangkok, members of the Tamil Mosque¹² met to assess the way ahead for their community in Sri Lanka.

Ahsan Uwise, a businessman, says Sri Lanka faces a long road to recovery.

"We've have come from the beginning again. It's a very difficult, difficult process," said Uwise. "We have gone 150 years backwards¹³ now. Sri Lanka now after this war it's gone 150 years backwards. Now the economy is in the doldrums, nothing is getting on, it's in a bad state. The whole country needs development."
　
Asraf Sultan says the Tamil community in Bangkok is ready to contribute

Asraf Sultan is also a businessman. He says the Tamil community in Bangkok is preparing to offer help.

"We'll help the Tamils in Sri Lanka - these people like us by donating the funds through United Nations, Red Cross like that. … If there is an organization trying to collect funds for them as me I will help whatever I can," he said.

Many Tamils throughout Southeast Asia expressed deep sadness over the bloodshed. But their grief has pushed them to try to help Sri Lankan Tamils take the first steps to rebuild their lives.

1 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 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。

5 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

9 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

12 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

13 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。