2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Polio Victims Choose Self-Help to Find

By Sarah Simpson
Kano
11 April 2007

Lawal Manesara, left, discuss with Ali Usman, centre, and sani Bako, right, all polio victims in a street of Lagos, Nigeria, 4 May 2005

Many polio victims in the northern Nigerian city, Kano, have turned their backs on begging for a living and have set up their own association to provide support to children and adults crippled by the virus. The association has enabled hundreds of polio victims to tackle the disability. Sarah Simpson reports from Kano.

Abdulahi Umar swings his body across the floor, with his hands. He lost use of his legs, after he fell ill with polio, as a child.

He reaches up to the car door and. with a few huffs and puffs¹, pulls himself up into the driver's seat.

Umar is a taxi driver and, as he cruises smoothly² through the busy streets of Kano, he explains how his car has been specially³ adapted for his needs.

"The brake is special and the clutch is special. And, accelerator is special, as my legs are not long enough to reach inside, so I construct a little bit of iron," he said.

Umar learned how to adapt his car at the Kano Polio Victims Trust Association, a support group that provides training to hundreds of adults and children crippled by polio.

Polio is a potentially fatal virus that often leaves survivors⁴ severely⁵ crippled - usually in the lower limbs.

Although he is unable to walk, being able to work as a taxi driver has given Umar a steady income and sense of freedom.

ULMER: "Most of my customers do not know that I am a disabled. They will enter and drop (leave) without knowing that the driver is disabled. You may not know."

SIMPSON: "How does that make you feel?"

ULMER: "You feel free."

Nigeria is one of a handful of countries in the world where polio is endemic. In 2006, Nigeria accounted for 70 percent of the world's cases of polio, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

Within Nigeria, most polio cases are recorded in the north of the country.

Kano is the biggest city in northern Nigeria. Yet, unlike the situation in many other towns, there is a distinct absence of polio victims begging in the traffic jams.

Aid worker Mohammed Doko says that is because polio victims are learning skills and trades at the Kano Polio Victims Trust Association.

"Begging is no longer profitable. There is not much money in the economy again," he said. "People do not give much any longer. But, if you come to KPVTA, you learn something and then you go away with something and that give you dignity, as now you are no longer begging. You are selling."

Doko works for the community participation⁶ charity, COMPASS, which is working closely with the polio victims to expand and improve the courses available to association members.

Brightly painted tricycles line the street outside the association headquarters. With help from COMPASS, association members have worked on improving their designs and are now selling their tricycles to vendors⁷, nationwide.

The carts are just one of a number products made by polio victims, for polio victims.

Even motorbikes are adapted with some ingenious welding - two small wheels are fixed⁸ to the rear, much like child's training bicycle.

In a good month, polio victim Abdu Hashim sells three or four tricycles, clearing a profit of around $40.

Buyers come from all over Nigeria and from other West African countries.

"People come here to buy from other states or abroad from Ghana, Niger, Cameroon," said Hashim.

There are many skills available through the association, including tie-dye of fabrics⁹ and making beauty products. With help from COMPASS, polio victims are learning small-business skills.

But help from the association and groups like COMPASS does not protect the polio victims from the day-to-day troubles of life in Nigeria - where most people exist on less than $2 a day.

So, like most of the cars on Kano's roads, Umar's taxi is old and prone¹⁰ to breakdown¹¹. But Umar is happy to be just like anyone else.

"I have my own mechanic. Anywhere my car breaks down I will go and call him to go and carry the car and repair it for me," he said.

Umar is the main income earner for himself, his wife and three children. With his specially adapted taxi, he has never had to consider begging to get by.

1 puffs   

n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
• Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句

2 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

3 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

4 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

5 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

7 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

10 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

11 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。