VOA常速英语2013--巴基斯坦基督教救济院50年后面临关门危机

 

Pakistan's Christian¹ Hospice to Close After 50 Years 巴基斯坦基督教救济院50年后面临关门危机

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN — In the crowded, winding² streets of the Rawalpindi, a small Christian hospice led by Irish nuns³ has taken care of the destitute⁴ and disabled for  50 years.

But the hospice that caters⁵ mainly to Muslim patients is now being forced to close because of falling donations and rising costs.巴基斯坦拉瓦尔品第,在拥挤的拉瓦尔品第 拉瓦尔品— 在巴基斯坦城市拉瓦尔品第拥挤曲折的街道上，一家由伊朗藉的护士主办的小型基督教救济院已经有50年照顾贫困和残疾人士的历史。这家救济院主要照顾穆斯林病人，但是现在 由于捐款减少和开支增加而被迫关闭。

For Aisha Gulrehman, the hospice has been her home for 10 years.

After being hit by a bullet outside her home in Pakistan's poor northwest at age 12, she has battled with cerebral⁶ palsy.

阿伊莎·高尔瑞曼患有脑瘫。12岁的时候，她在位于巴基斯坦贫困的西北部的家外面被一颗子弹击中。这家基督教救济院在过去的10年中成了她的家。

“When I first came here, I couldn't do anything, now I can eat by myself and I can write," she says. "Everybody here loves me and takes care of me. I wasn't looked  after like this in my own home."Like Aisha, all 40 patients here are destitute. Some of the paraplegics and quadraplegics have been abandoned.

阿伊莎?高尔瑞曼说：“我刚来到这里的时候，什么都做不了。现在我可以自己吃饭，自己写字了。这里的每一个人都爱我、照顾我。在我自己家里的时候我都没有像这样被照顾的这么好。”

这里的40个病人都和阿伊莎一样很贫穷。他们中的一些截瘫和四肢瘫痪的病人曾经被抛弃。

Sister Margaret Walsh and a team of Pakistani and international volunteers have been trying to keep St. Joseph's running.

玛格丽特·威尔士姐妹和一队由巴基斯坦和其他国家志愿者组成的团队试图维持圣约瑟夫救济院的运行。

But after 50 years, donations are drying up, and bookkeeper Naveed Inderyas says fuel, electricity and medical costs are rising.

但是在50年后，捐款逐渐耗尽了。会计纳维得·因德雅思说，汽油、电和医药品的价格都在上涨。 

“According to our bank balances, we can survive only for the five months," he says.

会计纳维得?因德雅思说：“我们的银行账户余额显示，我们只能再维持5个月。”

Although the hospice cares for people of all religions, many think that, as a Christian institution, its own faith community should be responsible to raise the money.  But sectarian violence has pushed many of Pakistan's wealthier Christians⁷ to depart, leaving few donors⁸.

虽然救济院照料信奉各个宗教的病人，但是许多人认为它是一个基督教机构，所以应该由基督徒出资。但是，宗教暴力迫使许多巴基斯坦的富有基督徒们离开，捐款者所剩无几。

While there are many charitable organizations in Pakistan, St. Joseph's is unique, says Dr. Munawar Sher Khan, a Muslim who has been involved with the hospice for 40  years.

穆纳瓦尔·谢尔·汗博士是一名40多年来参与救济院工作的穆斯林。她说，虽然在巴基斯坦有很多慈善组织，但是圣约瑟夫救济院是独特的。

"It gives a unique service," she says. "There is no place to the best of my knowledge that helps the disabled, the chronically⁹ ill, they are rejected from other  hospitals, they can't afford to go to hospitals, they can't afford expensive treatments."Abler patients are encouraged to stay active.

穆纳瓦尔?谢尔?汗博士说：“它提供了一种独特的服务。在我所知范围内，没有其他地方帮助残疾人和慢性疾病患者。他们被其他医院拒绝收容，他们不能负担医院的费用，他们负担不起任 何昂贵的治疗。”

Mohammed Sohail was a young man when he dove into a lake and cracked his head on a rock, paralyzing him from the neck down.

救济院鼓励有能力的病人保持积极心态。

穆罕穆德 ·苏海尔年轻的时候在湖边跳水，头部撞击到了一块岩石上，从此从颈部以下都瘫痪了。

"These people, especially hospice, they know what to do with me," he says. "Dressings¹⁰, food — a lot of other things, special needs for patients they provide us — and  slowly, slowly, starting that day, I did move my neck, my hand, my finger, and now I am like a big man."But without donated funds, such success stories could becpome a  thing of the past.

苏海尔说：“我不知道用什么话形容，但是这些人，特别是救济院的人，他们知道该怎么照顾我，给我穿衣服、喂我吃饭，和其他的一系列事情，他们提供给我们这些病人的特殊需要。然后 慢慢地，慢慢地，从那天起我能动我的脖子了，我的手，我的手指。现在，我就像一个大人。” 不幸的是，没有捐款来维持救济院运行，这些成功的故事马上就要变成过去了。穆纳瓦尔至今 仍不能相信救济院可能要成为过去了。

While Sister Walsh says she will fight to keep the hospice open, as closing seems too painful an option. Dr. Munawar says she cannot believe that the prospect¹¹ of  closure is one they need to confront.

玛格丽特?威尔士姐妹说，她会设法让救济院继续开门。关门是一个太令人难过的选择。

"I love the hospice, and I just can't bear the thought of it closing," she says. "For what? Why are we closing? Insufficient¹² funds? People don't care anymore? I care.  That's it." 

谢尔?汗博士说：“我爱这间救济院。我甚至不能想象它会关门。为什么？为什么我们要关门？资金不够吗？人们再也不关心他人了吗？我关心别人。就这样。”

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

3 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

4 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

5 caters   

提供饮食及服务( cater的第三人称单数 )； 满足需要，适合

参考例句：

• That shop caters exclusively to the weaker sex. 那家商店专供妇女需要的商品。
• The boutique caters for a rather select clientele. 这家精品店为特定的顾客群服务。

6 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

7 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

10 dressings   

n.敷料剂；穿衣( dressing的名词复数 )；穿戴；（拌制色拉的）调料；（保护伤口的）敷料

参考例句：

• He always made sure that any cuts were protected by sterile dressings. 他总是坚持要用无菌纱布包扎伤口。 来自辞典例句
• I waked the orderly and he poured mineral water on the dressings. 我喊醒勤务，他在我的绷带上倒了些矿质水。 来自辞典例句

11 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

12 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。