VOA慢速英语2019 太阳能为能源匮乏的也门提供了生命线

Solar Energy Offers Lifeline in Power-Starved Yemen

Yemen's civil war has resulted in widespread power outages across the country.

也门内战导致全国大范围断电。

The United Nations estimates that about 90 percent of the country's population lost electricity after the war broke out in 2015.

联合国估测，也门近9成的人口在2015年内战爆发后都经历了断电。

The severe power shortage has led some Yemenis to buy solar energy equipment to produce their own electricity.

内战造成的严重断电让一些也门人购买太阳能设备，目的是自己发电。

Ebrahim al-Faqih recognized this need four years ago and started selling solar panels. The demand for solar equipment has continued to rise, leading more people to get into the business.

易卜拉欣4年前发现了这个需求，然后开始出售太阳能电池板。人们对太阳能设备的需求依然在持续上升，这让更多人开始从事这个行当。

"Even people who used to work selling food moved to work in solar energy because of the high demand," Faqih told the Reuters news agency. He runs a store in the capital Sanaa which sells solar water heaters and panels imported from India and China.

就连那些以前从事食品出售行业的人也转行从事太阳能相关的行业，因为需求很高，易卜拉欣在接受路透社采访时如是说道。易卜拉欣在首都萨那经营这一家店，这家店出售太阳能热水器和太阳能电池板，是从印度和中国进口的。

Solar energy systems are providing answers to people struggling to meet their personal power needs. The availability of electricity was already extremely limited in Yemen's rural areas even before the conflict began.

太阳能系统提供了解决方案，让那些苦于无法满足个人能源需求的人能够得到满足。也门农村地区的用电已经极度有限，哪怕内战没爆发之前也已经极度有限了。

In many areas, electricity is needed to provide one of life's main necessities, water. Pumps are used to bring water to the surface for drinking and farming.

在很多地区，人们需要通过电来提供生活的主要必需品——水。人们通过水泵来将水泵到地表，用于饮用和农业。

Muhammad Yahya bought solar panels to power his home in the capital. He told Reuters that solar energy has become an important lifeline for many. "Electricity these days isn't just for lighting¹, electricity is life," he said.

穆罕默德买了几个太阳能电池板来为自己在首都的家供电。他在接受路透社采访时表示太阳能已经成为很多人的重要命脉。穆罕默德说，近来，电不只是用来照明的，电就是命根呀，他这样说道。

Yahya said solar energy is clearly being used by many as a way to help them get through the conflict. But he hopes people will keep using it as a main source of electricity when the war ends.

穆罕默德说，很多人用太阳能作为一种方式来帮助他们度过冲突。但穆罕默德希望人们能一直用太阳能作为内战结束时候电的主要来源。

Sanaa is controlled by the Houthi movement, which ousted² internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition³ has been fighting a ground and air campaign in support of the government of Hadi, who fled to exile in Saudi Arabia. Iran supports the Houthi rebels.

萨那是胡塞政府控制的，而2014年，胡塞政府驱逐了国际认可的总统哈迪。沙特领导的联盟通过地面和空中活动来支持哈迪政府，哈迪逃亡到了沙特。伊朗支持胡塞叛军。

Some Yemenis use diesel⁴ fuel generators⁶ to produce electricity. But such equipment pollutes the air and is too costly⁷ for many people.

"Alternative energy is better, it changed my life dramatically," said Akram Noman, who lives in Sanaa. He says he now has very little use for traditional electrical power. Noman said the government should offer tax breaks for people to use solar energy and should help farmers buy solar equipment.

Omar Homadi has a farm south of the capital in the Houthi-controlled rural area of Dhamar. He told Reuters he could not cover the cost of running a diesel generator⁵ to water his land, so he bought a solar-powered pump. "Our land had dried up but now it has come back to life thanks to the solar energy," he said.

Dhamar's water production had fallen to 30 percent of pre-war levels, said local water official Muhammad Ali al-Habshi. But production has now returned to 70 to 80 percent of levels before the war because of solar projects supported by international donors⁸.

"People used to get water every 10-12 days," Homadi said. "Now it is every three days...Solar energy was like a dream."

Words in This Story

panel – n. piece of equipment that attaches to the surface of something

generator – n. a machine that produces electricity

alternative – adj. different from what is usual or traditional

dramatically –adv. suddenly and to an extreme extent

1 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

2 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

5 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

6 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》