VOA标准英语2010年-'Fugees Family' Provides Hope, Opportu

Jordanian-born soccer coach Luma Mufleh runs a refugee support organization called Fugees Family in a community outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The organization has won wide praise for its work in helping¹ refugee children avoid gang violence and drugs by stressing sports and academic success. Now it has caught the attention of Hollywood.

After college, Luma Mufleh was looking for a greater sense of purpose. She had jobs at a café, and as a girls soccer coach in suburban² Atlanta, Georgia. But it was a wrong turn into an apartment complex in the refugee community of Clarkston that changed her life.

 

 
VOA - K. Farabaugh
Luma Mufleh
"Outside in the apartment complex, in the parking lot, there was these boys playing soccer," she said. "And they were out playing without shoes, and they had two little rocks set up as goals, and they were having the time of their life. And when I saw it, it reminded me of home. It reminded me of the way I played soccer - not very organized, not with parents, just outside having fun."

The boys came from different countries and spoke³ different languages, and Mufleh says joining in their games taught her an important lesson.

"The soccer ball was the common language we had," she said.

That fateful turn was the point that Mufleh says she found her greater sense of purpose. She started to coach the boys, many of them refugees, and along the way came to understand how difficult life was for them.

"There's never been any type of stability or consistency⁴ in their life" she said. "So imagine that for a 12, 13-year-old. And they're coming here and they're expected to succeed and make a life of their own. And it's hard. It's really hard to do that if you don't have any of the tools or support systems in place."

In 2006, Mufleh officially became a support system in Clarkston. Along with her friend Tracy Ediger, Mufleh founded the non-profit "Fugees Family" which provides tutoring and academic support as well as athletic⁵ instruction to young refugee boys in the area.

"We have four soccer teams with 86 boys in that program. And then we started a middle school program," Mufleh said. "It's a private middle school, 6th through 8th grade right now for 22 boys. And each year we're going to add a grade, and our goal is to have the first private school 6th through 12th grade for refugee kids in the country."

 

 
VOA - K. Farabaugh
Santino Jerke
Sudanese refugee Santino Jerke is enrolled⁶ in classes at the Fugees Academy by day, and one of the soccer teams in the evening. He looks at the program as a way to escape the violence that surrounds him.

"At public school I've seen a lot of kids, most of them are in my classroom, like troublemakers⁷, gang members, and if I wasn't here I could have been dragged into being a gang member, and that's not a great thing," he said.

 

Solomon Roberts
Liberian refugee Solomon Roberts agrees.

"Some people when they come here, they have nothing to do, so they join gangs, and rob people," he said. "So if we come here, she helps us, she makes us read a lot so we can learn."

The story of Mufleh and the Fugees Family has generated wide media interest, including several high profile TV interviews and a book. Now film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are preparing a movie script about the program....and Mufleh's life.

The attention hasn't changed her appreciation⁸ for the opportunity she has had in the United States.

"Nowhere else in the world would our work be possible," she said. "Like, where else would an Arab Muslim woman be able to coach teenage refugee boys from 28 different countries? It wouldn't happen anywhere else in the world. It is something to be celebrated⁹."

Mufleh says the production company hopes to have a final script ready to begin filming by next summer.
 

1 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。

2 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

3 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。

4 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

5 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

6 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 troublemakers   

n.惹是生非者，捣乱者( troublemaker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was employed to chuck out any troublemakers. 他受雇把捣乱者赶走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers. 她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

9 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。