VOA标准英语2008年-Bicycles of Birao, Northern CAR, Are Lifelines

In the northern part of the Central African Republic, in the town of Birao, which is almost completely cut off from the rest of the world during the rainy season, bicycles are taken very seriously. They may not have the Tour de France or any Olympic competition there. But bicycles are often both a matter of survival and social status. VOA's Nico Colombant watched some of the 'spinning' and has this report in this the final part of a series on challenges in the mostly lawless CAR.
　
Moubarak tests his bike before the trip home

A young man, Moubarak, spins his bike to make sure all is in order before a long ride home, taking back batteries and provisions from the market, in Birao, not far from Sudan's warring Darfur region.

He has had the bike for three years, and even though, one pedal is broken, he says it works well enough.

Moubarak does not own a car. Only the military and humanitarian¹ workers seem to have cars that work here.

During the rainy season, the young man explains, as he puts more pressure in his tires, the bike actually has an advantage over everything else.

When there are huge puddles² or truck-deep craters³ in dirt roads, he says, if you have a car you are stuck, but with a bike, you just carry it around any obstacle by foot, and off you go again.

Birao like other parts of the northern Central African Republic is almost completely cut off from the rest of the country during the rainy season.

The bike is also a status symbol.
　
Young boy shows off one of Birao's nicest bikes

An otherwise very discreet⁴ boy has a bike decked out with whistles, blinking lights, decorations, and bells he does not shy from showing off. He also has a full bouquet⁵ of plastic flowers gracing his handlebars.

Ali Sanyi who is admiring this bike explains when you are in the city, meaning Birao, which has a population of a few thousand, you have to look good. He says the more flowers you have on your handlebar, the richer and more powerful it means you are.

Many riders also keep the plastic which wrapped the bike when they bought it.

The local bike shop owner, Yiyah, explains the plastic also makes your bike look good, while saving its paint against mud and dust. He says the most popular brand of bike is a Chinese-made bike called the Phoenix⁶, which he says can last 10 years.

He says the Phoenix is good for long distances, and that you can go 100 kilometers, even 1,000 kilometers at a time with it in these remote areas, even with goods strapped⁷ on the back.
　
The Birao bike shop is one of busiest places in the market

The market's mechanic, Seydou, also does brisk business. He says sometimes he has too many bikes to repair and he cannot always find parts locally. So, he takes his own bike to the border region with Sudan and gets parts there.

He says he feels like an important part of the community, enabling people to keep moving for cheap cost.

 

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 puddles   

n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。
• The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 craters   

n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等

参考例句：

• Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The battlefield was full of craters made by exploding shells. 战场上布满弹坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

5 bouquet   

n.花束，酒香

参考例句：

• This wine has a rich bouquet.这种葡萄酒有浓郁的香气。
• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。

6 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

7 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》