环球英语 — 45：Listener Mail 75

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Rachel Hobson.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Welcome to our listener mail programme. This week’s programme is a little bit different. A listener from Thailand raised a very important issue - the sex trade. We share some ways to help sex workers. But first we read some of our listener mail.
Voice 2
How long have you listened to Spotlight? Where do you listen from? Joshua Ssali listens in Uganda. He is a radio producer in the city of Mukono. He works² with one of Spotlight’s partner organizations. He told us:
Voice 3
“In Africa many people have a good level of English. Most of the radio stations in Uganda have English programmes. But they speak so fast. Specialized³ English is wonderful with its slow speed. Everyone can understand every word.”
Voice 2
Spotlight programmes do help people to hear how words in English sound. The slow speed permits more people to listen to and enjoy the programmes. We would like to hear from some of our listeners in Mukono. So do write and tell us your comments and thoughts.
Voice 1
Today’s hodgepodge is from Uganda. Peter Phillips reads part of a poem by Mulumba Matia:
Voice 4
This is my home Uganda.
This is the land for me.
This is the place where my heart is at rest.
This is the land for all that is the best.
Here I am alive and free.
This is my home Uganda.
With mountains, with valleys and hills.
The deep dark forest where nobody goes.
The thick green swamps⁴ where the wide Nile river flows.
The western lakes strange and still.
Voice 2
Our next letter comes from Jozef in Slovakia. Jozef has written to us before. He says:
Voice 5
“I have been listening to your programme for months. Your programmes are very interesting to me. The best programmes were ‘The Five Love Languages’. ”
Voice 2
The series of programmes called ‘The Five Love Languages’ was very popular. Many listeners have told us they enjoyed it. The series talked about how people show and experience love in different ways.
Voice 1
For example, a man may show love by giving gifts. But his wife needs to hear kind words. When he gives his wife a present, he believes he is caring for her. But she does not feel that he loves her.
Voice 2
And this wife does not often give gifts to her husband. Instead, she says kind things to him. But he does not feel that she loves him. The husband and wife need to learn to understand each other’s love language.
Voice 1
There are five programmes in this series. But Jozef has only heard three of them. He asked us:
Voice 5
“Please can you send me all the programmes? I would like to hear the complete series.”
Voice 1
Thank you for your letter Jozef. Sadly, we are not able to keep all of our audio⁵ on our site. But we will play this series again in the future, probably in the spring of 2008. Also, you can read the scripts⁶ for the whole series on our website http://www.radio.english.net.
Voice 2
Our next letter comes from William in Venezuela:
Voice 6
“I live in Punto Fijo in the Falcon⁷ state. I have been reading your scripts. Your website seems a great tool for improving my English.”
Voice 2
Our website is a good resource. On it we have a list of the words we use. We also have links to English learning⁸ sites. These are good tools for improving your English language skills.
Voice 1
And now it is time to look at the growing problem of the sex trade. Banana wrote to us from Bangkok, Thailand. She said:
Voice 7
“I like to hear your programmes so much. I try to listen as often as I can. ... I listened to your programme ‘Nightlight’. In this programme you talked about the Thai girl and sex workers. I think this is a big problem in Bangkok. Those girls need a good education. And they need God. But there are a lot of girls here who do not do those things. This is a beautiful land.”
Voice 1
Thank you for your letter Banana. Our programme Nightlight told the story of the young woman Pim who became a sex worker to support her family. But she did not tell her mother what she was doing. She felt too much shame about it.
Voice 2
The sex trade is not just a problem in Thailand. It is a problem all over the world. Some people have sex for money. Often they believe it is the only way they can make enough money to survive. For other sex workers, the problem is different. Sex traders force them to work. They keep them as slaves.
Voice 1
Different countries deal with sex workers in different ways. In some countries the sex trade is legal. In others there are severe punishments. Usually it is the sex workers who suffer - not the people who employ them.
Voice 2
For many years the country of Sweden had a big problem with the sex trade. So in 1999, officials made a new law. This law states that sex workers cannot be arrested. Instead the police arrest the men who use them. The government of Sweden does not believe one person should be able to buy another person. So, this law aims to protect the women affected⁹ by the sex trade.
Voice 1
Many sex workers experience violence. And they risk catching¹⁰ diseases¹¹. But most of all, this work damages their emotions. They often feel deep shame as Pim did. They feel as if no one truly loves them.
Voice 2
This is not a new problem. For thousands of years people have worked in the sex trade. The Bible¹² tells the story of a woman like this who wanted to see Jesus. Jesus was eating dinner at a religious leader’s house. This woman came to Jesus. She was ashamed of her life. She was crying. She wet his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair. And she kissed his feet and poured perfume¹³ on them. The religious leader could not believe Jesus let the woman touch him. This leader believed that she was dirty. But Jesus told the woman, “Your wrongs are forgiven...your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
This story tells of love and forgiveness. It tells how God can heal¹⁴ people’s deepest pain.
Voice 2
Well, that is all we have time for today. Thank you to Jozef, William and Banana. If you have comments or questions about our programmes, write to us. Our e-mail address is radio @ english . net. We may read your letter in our Listener Mail programme!
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

4 swamps   

沼泽（地）( swamp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• On the floor of the basins lie deserts, lakes and swamps. 这几个盆地的底部有沙漠、湖泊和沼泽。
• The lowest parts of the flood plain may form "back-swamps". 河漫滩最低的部分可以形成河漫滩沼泽。

5 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。

6 scripts   

剧本( script的名词复数 )； 文字； 笔迹； （一种语言的）字母系统

参考例句：

• Many felt he was prostituting his talents by writing Hollywood scripts. 许多人觉得他给好莱坞写剧本是滥用自己的才华。
• The scripts had a rather tired plot. 这部陈旧的剧本的情节是非常俗套的。

7 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

8 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

9 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。

10 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

11 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

12 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

13 perfume   

n.香水(料，气)；vt.使充满芳香；洒香水

参考例句：

• The air was heavy with the perfume of the flower.空气中充满了花香。
• Those roses perfume the whole garden.那些玫瑰花使满园飘香。

14 heal   

v.使愈合，治愈，使康复；平息(争吵等)；消除，解决(分支等)

参考例句：

• Time helped heal the old wounds.时间有助于治愈旧创伤。
• This wound will soon heal if yon keep it clean.如果你保持伤口清洁，它很快就会痊愈。