环球英语 — 290：Cluster Bombs

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Ruby² Jones.
Voice 2
And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Soraj Ghulam Habib is a young man from the Herat Province of Afghanistan. Seven years ago, when he was only ten years old, he lost both of his legs when a cluster³ bomb exploded. He wrote about this terrible event on a website called BAN Advocates.
Voice 3
"One day when I was a child, I was excited to play with my friends in my local area of Herat. Suddenly, I crashed into an unknown object and it took half of my body. I lost two of my legs and some of my friends were injured too. Playing and fun stopped. I was forced into much suffering and difficulties, and my family received a son without legs."
Voice 2
Soraj suffered much after that day. He spoke⁴ about his suffering at a conference on cluster bombs in Wellington, New Zealand. He told the listeners,
Voice 3
"I have been through pain, suffering and rejection⁵. I face many barriers, seen and unseen, that prevent me from completely taking part in community life. Cluster bombs prevented me from going to school, playing with children, and from social events. Cluster bombs destroyed my dreams."
Voice 1
Today's Spotlight will be on Soraj Ghulam Habib and his work to ban the use of cluster bombs. His story is a story of survival⁶. And his life shows how one person can influence, change and save lives.
Voice 2
Cluster bombs are a kind of ammunition⁷ that has been used since World War Two. These bombs are made of many parts. There is one large bomb shell with hundreds or even thousands of smaller bombs inside. Airplanes drop the large bomb shells. While in the air, the little bombs or "bomblets" are released from the larger shell. These small bombs fall to the ground over very large areas of space.
Voice 1
Because cluster bombs release over large areas, it is more difficult to target individuals. Many innocent citizens can be hurt or killed by the bombs. And many groups feel that this is a major problem with this kind of ammunition.
Voice 2
Another problem with cluster bombs is that some of the "bomblets" do not explode when they hit the ground. These unexploded "bomblets" stay on the ground - some times for years. However, when they are touched, they can explode.
Voice 1
Often, little children think the unexploded "bomblets" are play things. When the children try to touch the bomblets, they can accidently explode. Adults can also accidently explode cluster bombs while farming, hunting or even just walking. The group Handicap⁸ International says that 98 percent of cluster bomb victims are innocent citizens. And 27 percent of those are children.
Voice 2
This is what happened to Soraj. While he was playing with friends, he ran into a "bomblet." Amazingly, he survived. But the cluster bomb changed his life forever.
Voice 1
For the past year and a half, Soraj has spent much time travelling and informing people all over the world about an international treaty against cluster bombs. He hoped to show them that cluster bombs cause more harm than good. He hoped that many countries would sign the treaty.
Voice 2
This past December, Soraj met with the leaders of his home country, Afghanistan. He and other cluster bomb survivors⁹ encouraged Afghan leaders to sign the treaty, banning the use of cluster bombs.
Voice 1
Before meeting with the cluster bomb victims, Afghanistan supported using cluster bombs. They were not going to sign the treaty! However, after talking with survivors like Soraj, the Afghan leaders changed their minds. This was a major surprise to the international community. And on December the 4th 2008, Afghanistan joined many other countries in Oslo, Norway to sign an international treaty. This treaty was the Convention¹⁰ on Cluster Munitions¹¹.
Voice 2
Soraj told the news group, the Associated Press, about his meeting with Afghan leaders. He said,
Voice 3
"I explained to the ambassador¹² my situation, and that the people of Afghanistan wanted a ban."
Voice 1
This was a great day for Soraj. In all, almost 100 countries signed the treaty. The treaty was written to protect innocent citizens all over the world. And the countries that signed the treaty agreed to stop using cluster bombs, stop making or selling cluster bombs and stop encouraging other countries to use them. Soraj said,
Voice 3
"Today is a historic¹³ day."
Voice 2
Many aid groups, cluster bomb survivors and families who have lost loved ones to cluster bombs are very happy about the treaty. They know that the ban on cluster bombs is making international progress.
Voice 1
But unexploded cluster bombs continue to be a serious problem for many countries. The country of Vietnam is a good example. The Vietnam War ended over 30 years ago. Since that time, over 100,000 innocent citizens have been hurt or killed in explosions of old cluster bombs. Today, there are still unexploded cluster bombs throughout Vietnam. And people are still at risk.
Voice 2
The danger of cluster bombs continues for a long time after wars end. This is another reason international leaders and aid workers believe the treaty against cluster bombs is so important.
Voice 1
However, not every country signed the international treaty last December. In fact, a few very powerful countries like Russia, Israel and the United States refused.
Voice 2
Countries like the United States support the use of cluster bombs. They believe that when the bombs are used carefully, they can be very effective. However, the United States has not used cluster bombs since 2003.
Voice 1
A leader from the group, Human Rights Watch talked with the news group Associated Press. He spoke about the countries that did not sign the treaty. He said,
Voice 4
"We are saddened by the states that did not show up here in Oslo...They are on the wrong side of history. Some of them are holding on to what is now a widely disapproved¹⁴ weapon."
Voice 2
So, cluster bombs have not been completely banned. However, many lives will be saved by the signing of the treaty.
Voice 1
And people like Soraj will continue working hard to stop the use of cluster bombs. Change does not always happen quickly or completely. But the process of change has begun.
Voice 2
Today, Soraj is hopeful about his life. He remembers his suffering, but he is also working toward the future. He is continuing to study. And he also continues to inform people about the harm caused by cluster bombs. He writes,
Voice 3
"As a victim of cluster bombs who lost two of his legs, I propose to those who produce, use and move these harmful weapons: Please stop cluster bombs, you would stop them for sure if your own children faced such a terrible future."
 

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 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 cluster   

n.串，簇，群，组；vi.群集，丛生；vt.集中

参考例句：

• She held a cluster of flowers in her arms.她抱着一束鲜花。
• A cluster of tourists was surrounded in the hill.一群游客被困在了山中。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

6 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

7 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

8 handicap   

n.障碍（身体或智力方面的），缺陷；vt.妨碍

参考例句：

• Losing our best player was a handicap to the team.失去最棒的运动员对我队不利。
• His physical handicap prevented him from standing.因为他身体残废，无法站立。

9 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

10 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

11 munitions   

n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品

参考例句：

• The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
• He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。

12 ambassador   

n.大使，特使，（派驻国际组织的）代表

参考例句：

• He took up office as an ambassador for ten years continuously.他连任十年大使。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

13 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

14 disapproved   

v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》