VOA常速英语2007-Zimbabwe Tourists Flood to Victoria Falls, Shun

By VOA News
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
19 October 2007
 

Blessed with natural beauty, Zimbabwe was once a destination for thousands of world travelers. Amid an economic and humanitarian¹ crisis, tourism in the southern African nation is at an all time low -- except at The Victoria Falls. There, the government shields tourists from the privation and oppression many Zimbabweans complain they suffer.

A correspondent for VOA, who must remain anonymous² for security reasons, files this undercover report from Bulawayo.

The mighty³ Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, located on Zimbabwe's northern border with Zambia, is still a hot spot for tourists. Although, their numbers have dropped by 30 percent since 2000, when the Zimbabwe government first began to seize white-owned commercial farms.

But here, on what is called a “booze cruise” down the Zambezi River, where the wine flows much like water, tourists are not thinking about Zimbabwe's plight⁴ – the fact that 90 percent of the country is unemployed⁵, that public demonstrations⁶ are forbidden and often brutally⁷ suppressed, and that something as simple as buying a packet of sugar can get you killed in a stampede of desperate shoppers.

Instead, hippopotamus⁸, elephant and crocodile are welcome distractions⁹.  And as tourists enjoy the ultimate African vacation, they are shielded from the violence, poverty and desperation that exist in the rest of the country.

With the exception of the falls, tourism in Zimbabwe is at an all-time low.

In early July, at a famous place further inland, we saw no tourists all week. Great Zimbabwe is a collection of ruins that are one of the most important archeological sites in the country, and what Zimbabwe was named after. The scene is deserted¹⁰. The only other people there – the workers.

In the majestic¹¹ Chimanimani Hotel dining room in the mountainous Chimanimani area, empty chairs sit at empty tables. They have not had a single diner all day, and no one the day before.  Yet all the tables are set and ready -- the silver polished, the napkins folded.

Zimbabweans cannot even afford to see their own country's beauty.

One man we spoke¹² with is a refugee in his own land. "Life here in Zimbabwe, (is) so terrible,” he said. “There is no food in the shops. There's virtually nothing. There's no water. There's no electricity. I mean, the basic necessities are no longer here."

Zimbabwe's long-time president, Robert Mugabe, denies the allegations of unrest and shortages of basic necessities in his country. Mr. Mugabe and his government say they welcome tourists from all over the world.

Ironically, the majority of Zimbabweans are more interested in getting out of the country.  It is estimated that more than 2 million have illegally emigrated to South Africa in the last 10 years, escaping the country's collapsing¹³ economy.

"Here in Zimbabwe, each day that ends, ends without something to eat," a refugee told us, but he asked to remain anonymous for his own safety.  He snuck into South Africa as many others do, but lacking the right papers was deported¹⁴ back home. "Maybe a new government (can) to come in place and let this economy work."

Zimbabwe is a country many others once visited for its allure¹⁵.

"It's a remarkably¹⁶ beautiful country," says David Coltart, a Member of Parliament and the nation's opposition¹⁷ political party.

"It has beautiful people and it's a beautiful land.  All it's missing is democracy, and when we get that ingredient, it's going to be one of the best countries in the world," he says.

To the tourists back on this booze cruse, Zimbabwe, located on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, is placid¹⁸ and calm. But to those who cannot leave, it is a turbulent country on the edge.

1 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。

2 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

3 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

4 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

5 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

6 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

7 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

8 hippopotamus   

n.河马

参考例句：

• The children enjoyed watching the hippopotamus wallowing in the mud.孩子们真喜观看河马在泥中打滚。
• A hippopotamus surfs the waves off the coast of Gabon.一头河马在加蓬的海岸附近冲浪。

9 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

11 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

12 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。

13 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

14 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 allure   

n.诱惑力，魅力；vt.诱惑，引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
• The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。

16 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

17 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

18 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。