VOA常速英语2008年-Maasai Warriors Run London Marathon to Raise Mo

By Tendai Maphosa
London
13 April 2008

The London marathon is a yearly opportunity for runners to raise money for one cause or another. This year, the fundraisers are joined by an unusual group of runners trying to raise money for a life and death project: a well in their drought-ravaged village in Tanzania. Tendai Maphosa has more in this report from London.

 

The closest most Londoners have come to a Maasai warrior¹ is in travel brochures and travel documentaries on television. On Sunday, they will have a chance to see six warriors² who are taking part in the annual London Marathon. The Maasais will cut distinctive³ figures, running in their traditional red toga-like wraps and sandals made from old car tires, carrying cowhide shields and sticks.

Those close enough will not only see the warriors. They will hear them chant as well.

The Maasais are participating in the marathon to raise money for a well in their village, Eluai, in Tanzania. Changing rain patterns and successive droughts have not only killed their cattle.

Isaya, the group's spokesman, spoke⁴ to reporters before Sunday's marathon. "This problem is from long time, because like last year we didn't have rain for ten months and we got problem of losing our elders. They die and children because they can't move far away and they can't walk far away. The elders die because they can't go where the water is and the youngest children, they can't go to school because teachers they cannot be around because there is no water," he said.

Isaya said wild animals move closer to the villages when the land is parched⁵. And that compounds the problem, exposing people and livestock⁶ to attack from dangerous animals.

He had a message that could disappoint those looking forward to the Maasais breaking the marathon record. "We are not running for breaking record. We are here to raise enough money for helping⁷ our culture, so we are running dancing and singing and we are carrying all our stuff. We are hoping to finish maybe four hours," he said.

Isaya, asked if the runners are experiencing culture shock in London, said "It's a good question. Actually it is very different from the start we get to aeroplane (airplane) to here because where we are nothing compare to anything. We live without anything like this, so everything is different, complete different."

Isaya and his teammates are hoping that by the time they cross the line on Sunday, they will have persuaded enough people to give $120,000, so the well will put their water woes⁸ behind them.

1 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

2 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

3 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

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 parched   

adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干

参考例句：

• Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
• The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

6 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。