VOA标准英语2008年-Government to Continue With Controversial Inter

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
22 June 2008

Australia's Labor¹ government has promised to maintain a controversial policy aimed at protecting Aboriginal² children in remote settlements, a year after police and troops were sent into indigenous³ camps. Aborigines have demonstrated against what they've described as "racist⁴" policies. Community leaders have threatened to close Uluru, one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations, in protest. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
　

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

A year ago Australia's former conservative government embarked⁵ on a controversial
plan to tackle the country's worst social problem. Chronic⁶ disadvantage had seen Aboriginal life expectancy⁷ fall to 17 years below that of other Australians. In response
to a damning report about widespread child abuse, troops, police officers and medical teams were sent to more than 70 indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.
Bans on alcohol and pornography were also introduced.

The policy has the support of the new Labor Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

12 months after the intervention⁸ began Aborigines across the country have demonstrated against what they've claimed are racist and draconian⁹ measures.

In protest tribal¹⁰ leaders from Central Australia have threatened to ban tourists from climbing Uluru, formerly¹¹ known as Ayers Rock, a giant sandstone rock in Australia's
rugged red centre and is managed by its traditional Aboriginal owners.

Community elders have insisted that Aboriginal men had been portrayed¹² as violent alcoholics¹³, who beat women and abuse children.

Critics of the policy have said that young Aborigines were still vulnerable to sexual assault despite the intervention.
　

Swedish Queen Silvia, left,talks with an aboriginal elder Reggie Uluru at Walpa Gauge14 in Australia (File)

However, some Aboriginal community leaders believe that parts of the government's action plan are working, including the strict controls on the way that individuals could spend Centrelink, or welfare, payments to prevent family budgets being wasted on alcohol.

"We all have family members who have alcohol problems and I've seen the difference in my own immediate¹⁵ family where, with this income management now that they're
only spending half of their money on alcohol and gambling¹⁶ and the other half they've actually got food on the table because it's being managed by Centrelink [government
benefit department]. And for families like that I think it is a good thing," Said Helen Kantawarra, president of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.

Ministers have stressed that while there was still much work to be done, progress had been made. Basic health care was being provided and an increasing number of
Aboriginal children had been encouraged to go to school.

Kevin Rudd said the reforms had made a significant difference to thousands of lives.

Aborigines comprise about 2% of Australia's population of 21 million.

Many indigenous communities are self-destructing through the abuse of alcohol and drugs, which have left a terrible legacy¹⁷ of poverty, high unemployment and premature
death.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

3 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

4 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

5 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

6 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

7 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

8 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

9 draconian   

adj.严苛的；苛刻的；严酷的；龙一样的

参考例句：

• You can't expect the people to obey such draconian regulations.你不能指望人民服从如此严苛的规定。
• The city needs a draconian way of dealing with robbers.这个城市需要一个严苛的办法来对付强盗。

10 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

11 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

12 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

14 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

15 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

16 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

17 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。