谋杀美国志愿者或损害尼泊尔旅游业

AS IT IS 2015-09-11 Murder Could Hurt Nepal's Tourism Efforts 谋杀美国志愿者或损害尼泊尔旅游业

Four months after a deadly earthquake, Nepal is struggling to revive mountain and trekking¹ tourism. Now, however, the murder of an American volunteer could hurt those efforts.

Dahlia Yehia was a 27-year-old teacher from Austin, Texas. She was in Nepal to help victims of an earthquake in April. Authorities say she was living in a resort town when she was hit with a hammer, and her body thrown in a river.

It has been more than four months since two major earthquakes struck Nepal. The quakes killed more than 8,700 people. Property was vastly destroyed or damaged.

The murder is unlikely to help Nepal as it struggles to re-build its tourism industry. Foreigners and the money they spend in Nepal provide jobs for thousands of Nepalese. The country’s Himalayan Mountains have long been a popular area for mountain climbers.

Ramesh Prasad Dhamala (RAH-mesh Pra-SAHD Tah-MAH-lah) works for Ecological² Treks³ in Nepal. He spoke⁴ to VOA before the murder occurred, as he prepared to welcome his first group of hikers since the earthquake in April.

(ACT - RAMESH PRASAD DHAMALA)  “We are sending the six German people we know to the mountains. Similarly, other companies, they are also doing. So there are a few trekkers. They are already, you know, starting their trekking activity on the mountain.”

The Germans are among a handful of foreigners who will climb Nepal’s mountains this autumn. They have set aside concerns about the safety of hiking trails high in the Himalayas.

This is a huge step forward for Nepal. Before the earthquakes, more than 150,000 foreigners came each year to explore its mountains.

The first earthquake struck during the spring climbing season. Nineteen people died in an avalanche⁵ on Mount Everest. Rocks, ice and snow damaged paths used by hikers.

The head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association is Ang Tshering (AHNG Shering). He says his group has worked hard to reopen the mountains for visitors.

(ACT – ANG TSHERING) “We are repairing the trails, bridges and the road heads. Some of the places we are putting the retention⁶ walls, where there are landslides⁷.”

An American-based engineering company was asked to study safety conditions. It found that trails around Mount Annapurna are safe for hikers.

That has raised hopes among nearly 200,000 sherpas, guides and others that next year will be better economically. Because the earthquake interfered⁸ with the spring climbing season, many Nepalese earned little or no money this year. They hope the famous mountains will draw visitors back to Nepal.

Pemba Gyalje (PEM-bah gill-AHL-jay) has climbed Mount Everest seven times. He is one of Nepal’s most famous mountaineers. He says he is sure that the tall, snow-covered mountains will work their magic.

(ACT – PEMBA GYALJE) “The mountain attraction is very unique and very powerful. This is a very unique, natural power. It is very difficult to explain.”

Fiona Marshall is with KE Adventure Travels, a company based in Britain. She says Adventure Travels will operate in Nepal this year after carefully studying the areas where it operates. She says her company is already planning trips to Nepal, although demand is not as strong as before the earthquakes.

For Nepal, the return of mountain tourism is important to its recovery efforts. The millions of dollars brought in by overseas visitors are a valuable source of foreign exchange.

Words in This Story

tourism – n. the activity of traveling for pleasure; the business of providing hotels, meals and other services for travelers

hikers – n. individuals who walk long distances for pleasure or exercise

trails – n. paths or walkways

avalanche – n. a large amount of snow, ice, dirt and rocks that slides down the side of a mountain

association – n. an organization or group

retention – adj. related to the ability to keep something or someone

attraction – n. something of interest

unique – adj. special or different from everything else

keen – adj. very interested and excited in something

1 trekking   

v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• She can't come pony trekking after all because she's in a delicate condition. 她结果还是不能坐小马车旅行，因为她已怀孕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. 我们整个夏天都在喜马拉雅山的山麓艰难跋涉。 来自互联网

2 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

3 treks   

n.远距离行走 ( trek的名词复数 )；长途跋涉，艰难的旅程（尤指在山区）v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的第三人称单数 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• And visiting companies and completing job treks are becoming much more important in the job search. 参观公司、进行实地考察在找工作中变得重要得多。 来自互联网
• These range from treks around Mont an ascent of North Africa's highest mountain, Mount Toubkal. 参与者是徒步绕勃朗峰，然后攀登北非最高峰托布卡尔山。 来自互联网

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 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

6 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

7 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

8 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》