金钱带来宽慰 但无法抚平尼日利亚社区的伤口

金钱带来宽慰 但无法抚平尼日利亚社区的伤口

Just about everyone in Bodo is building something. But on the banks of the creeks¹ that surround the community, oil laps at blackened ground. There in lies the reason for the building boom.

在博多几乎每个人都在建造着一些东西。但在环绕社区这些小河的河岸上,黑压压的地上都是石油。这就是建筑热潮的原因所在。

Two oil spills years ago dumped thousands of barrels of crude into the creeks of this community, which depends on fishing for its main source of income. Bodo claimed the Shell oil company's Nigerian subsidiary was responsible for the spill, and took the matter to court in Britain. Earlier this year, Bodo accepted a cash settlement that put money directly into the pockets of more than 15,000 people.

2年前的石油泄漏事件造成数千桶的原油倾倒入这个以捕鱼为其主要收入来源社区的小河。博多认为壳牌石油公司尼日利亚子公司是该事件的始作俑者,并且将此案交由英国法院审理。今年早些时候博多接受了现金补偿,直接进入超过15000人的口袋中。

But Sylvester Kogbara, high chief of the community, said money cannot make up for a way of life that was destroyed.

但社区高管西尔维斯特·科巴拉表示金钱不能弥补被毁掉的生活方式。

“It is not enough, and it can never be enough. I have mentioned it here and in terms of, no, they can't pay enough. And what of the generations unborn?”

“根本就不够,永远都不够。我提到过这点,不是用金钱就能支付够的。子孙后代该如何是好?”

Residents received about 3,000 each from the settlement. Fisherman Giadon Aagbara Timothy is using the money to build a brick house to replace the mud home his family lives in.

每户居民从补偿款中收到约3000美元。渔夫戈登·阿哥巴拉·蒂姆西使用这笔钱建造砖房替代他和家人现在居住的泥房。

But with the waters around Bodo saturated² with oil and the fish either dead or too polluted to eat, he said his future looks bleak³.

但随着博多周围水域受到石油污染导致鱼类要么死亡要么不能进食,他表示自己的未来暗淡无光。

“From the moment the oil spill occurred, we now live with no choice than being in that abject⁴ poverty. That, where we cannot go fishing, we cannot go anywhere to get anything to help ourselves. The oil spill really cost us a whole damage.”

“从石油泄漏事件发生的那一刻起,我们现在的生活就极度贫困而且没有其他出路。我们不能出去钓鱼,我们没别的方式帮助自己。石油泄漏真的使我们蒙受非常大的损失。”

You can still buy fish in the market in Bodo, but it is imported from elsewhere, where the water is cleaner. Some fishermen still tough it out. Marvelous Bonny bought a new fishing boat with the settlement money. He now travels far from Bodo to catch the croaker and salt-water fish popular in its markets.

你仍然可以在博多市场上买到鱼,但却是从其他水源干净的地方所进口。一些渔民仍然处境艰难。玛维勒斯·伯尼用补偿款买下了一条新渔船。他现在航行到距离博多很远的地方捕捞市场上大受欢迎的石首鱼及咸水鱼。

Shell has also agreed to help clean up the oil that spilled around Bodo. Its residents say things will get back to normal only when its waterways are clean.

 

壳牌公司也同意帮助清理博多周围的石油。当地居民称只有当水源清澈如新一切才会恢复正常。

1 creeks   

n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪

参考例句：

• The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
• There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

2 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

3 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

4 abject   

adj.极可怜的，卑屈的

参考例句：

• This policy has turned out to be an abject failure.这一政策最后以惨败而告终。
• He had been obliged to offer an abject apology to Mr.Alleyne for his impertinence.他不得不低声下气，为他的无礼举动向艾莱恩先生请罪。