VOA标准英语2013--South Africa Pledges to Get Tough on Rape

 

South Africa Pledges to Get Tough on Rape¹

In recent months, the outrage² has grown.

These protesters are marching to protest the brutal³ killing⁴ of teenager Anene Booysen. Anene was one of an estimated 64,000 girls and women who are raped⁵ every year in South Africa.

Her experience was horrifying⁶.

She was raped and tortured in her hometown of Bredasdorp in the Western Cape⁷ this year. Her attackers literally⁸ tore her small body apart. She died shortly after in a local hospital.

Troy Martens, the spokeswoman for the Women’s League of the ruling African National Congress party says the brutality⁹ of the attack has galvanized the nation.

“I think we find ourselves in a very fortunate situation at this moment in rape advocacy and sexual violence advocacy. Because there is so much public attention on it at the moment and there is a pub[lic] sentiment that something needs to be done and enough is enough, and the time for action is now,” said Martens.

President Jacob Zuma condemned¹⁰ the attack and called for action in his February State of the Nation Address. Earlier this month, Zuma launched a national campaign that calls for schoolchildren to give a daily pledge not to commit rape or sexual violence.

On the streets of Johannesburg, a shocking number of passersby¹¹ said they had seen the effects of rape firsthand.

“I know quite a few people who have actually considered doing rape, in my community,” a man stated.

Sthembiso Hlungwani said she had been sexually assaulted - though not raped - by a family friend.

“I felt dirty," she shared. "And I just wanted to die, and it made it worse when they didn’t believe me. So I think a person who’s raped feels a million times worse than I did, and it’s not a good feeling, trust me, I know. It hurts, and it haunts you, every day, every time.”

The Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre works with women who have been victims of abuse. Acting¹² director Nicky Vienings says the anti-rape pledge is a good start, but not enough.

“It’s fine to recite something but what does it mean? What is the impact of rape, what does it mean for women? And I think think essentially¹³, living in a patriarchal society, rape is a systemic issue. And until those things change and until we change what’s happening in education," noted¹⁴ Vienings. "I’m not sure the extent to which this issue of rape is going to be addressed.”

Vienings and other advocates say there are many other steps that need to be taken, including a strengthening of police and court systems. 

1 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

2 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

6 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

7 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

8 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

9 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

10 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

11 passersby   

n. 过路人(行人,经过者)

参考例句：

• He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛，因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印，看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

13 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。