Great Green Wall
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Amina was packing her schoolbag when her teacher, Monsieur Diallo, stopped by her desk.
当她的老师迪亚洛先生到她的书桌前 Amina正在收拾她的书包
“ Are you certain today must be your last day, Amina?”
“...... 你确定今天是你最后一天吗,阿米娜? “
he asked.
他问。
“Education is the surest path to a bright future.”
“教育是通往光明未来的最可靠道路。 “
“I wish I could stay, Monsieur,” Amina said regretfully as she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder.
先生,“我希望我能留下”,Amina遗憾地说,她把她的学袋压在肩上。
“The hivernage is late again this year; the rains have not yet come.
“今年的蜂巢又迟了;雨季还没有到来。
Our village is nothing but dust and desert.
我们的村庄只是尘埃和沙漠。
The cattle have no grass or shrubs to graze on.
牛群没有草或灌木来放牧.
My mother says if we take the herd farther south, we may find something growing for them to eat.”
我妈妈说如果我们把畜群带到更南的地方, 我们可能会找到一些东西给他们吃。 “
“I understand, but I am sorry to hear it,” Monsieur Diallo said with a deep sigh.
“我理解,但很遗憾听到这个消息”,迪亚洛先生深为叹息地说。
“You know, when I was a boy, there were so many trees in the Sahel that you could barely see the sky, but now.
“你知道,当我还是个孩子的时候,萨赫勒地区有许多树木,你几乎看不到天空,但现在。
Monsieur Diallo just shook his head.
迪亚洛先生刚刚摇了头
Indeed, all along the 8-kilometer (5 mi.)
的确,整个8公里(5英里)
walk home, Amina did not see a single tree.
阿米娜没有看到一棵树
Her feet left stark prints in the sandy red soil as she passed herds of skinny white zebu cattle.
她的脚在沙地的红土上留下了尖锐的印记,因为她经过了瘦小的白斑牛群.
The hungry cows nosed at the ground, but the earth had nothing to offer them.
饥饿的母牛在地上发鼻涕,但地上没有东西给他们.
Once, this had been a fertile place.
曾经,这里是一个肥沃的地方。
As far back as anyone could remember, Amina’s community, the Fulani, had moved with the seasons and followed their cattle to fresh pasture.
阿米纳社区富拉尼人随季节迁移,
After decades of drought, however, grass struggled to grow, and the many hungry animals meant the land never had a chance to rest and restore itself.
然而,经过几十年的干旱后,草地挣扎着要生长,而许多饥饿的动物意味着这片土地永远没有休息和恢复自己的机会.
Now, the Sahel was turning into a desert.
现在,萨赫勒地区变成了沙漠。
The Sahel is a semi-arid region that stretches across Africa, dividing the desert in the north from the humid savannas in the south.
萨赫勒地区是一个半干旱地区,横跨非洲,将北部的沙漠从南部的湿润草原上分出.
Since the 1980s, this grassland region has been devastated by drought and desertification.
自1980年代起,这个草地地区就被干旱和荒漠化所破坏.
More than fifty million people call the Sahel home.
5 000多万人称萨赫勒为家园。
The changing environment has severely impacted those who rely on the land to farm and to raise livestock.
不断变化的环境严重影响了依靠土地耕作和饲养牲畜的人。
Changes in the Sahel have forced people to live differently.
萨赫勒的变化迫使人们过着不同的生活。
The Sahel Key the Sahel Mauritania Mali Niger Chad Sudan Eritrea Sahara Desert Senegal Benin Cameroon Burkina Faso South Sudan Ethiopia ASIA EUROPE AFRICA Nigeria At home, Amina’s mother was waiting with bowls of nyiiri rice, and though Amina was hungry after her long walk, she could only pick sadly at her supper.
萨赫勒 马里 尼日尔 乍得 苏丹 厄立特里亚 撒哈拉沙漠 塞内加尔 欧洲 尼日利亚 在家里,阿米娜的母亲正在用一碗尼伊里米等,虽然阿米娜长途跋涉后饿了,但她只能在晚饭上痛心地挑.
Her mother squeezed her shoulder in sympathy.
她的母亲为了同情而捏住她的肩膀.
“I wish you could stay in school,” she said, “but we have no choice but to put the herd first.
“我希望你能留在学校,”她说,“但我们别无选择,只能把牲畜放在首位。
If the cows suffer, we cannot sell them or milk them, and then how will we eat, let alone pay your school fees?”
如果牛受了苦,我们就不能卖了它们,也不能给它们挤奶,然后我们怎么吃饭,更不要说交学费了? “
What if the rains don’t come, or what if we don’t find grass?
如果下雨不来,
What if I fall so far behind at school that I never catch up?
如果我落在学校的后面 却永远追不上怎么办?
Amina thought, but she could see the worry lines etched deep into her mother’s forehead and did not ask.
Amina想着,但她可以看到埋入她母亲前额的担心线,没有问。
Six Months Later The cattle were skinnier than ever when Amina and her mother returned to the village.
六个月后 当阿米娜和她的母亲回到村庄时,牛比以往更瘦.
For months, they had traveled south in search of good grazing land, but with little luck.
几个月来,他们一直去南方寻找好牧场,但运气不大。
The herd suffered from walking long distances without much food, and disease spread easily with so many animals on the move.
牧群苦于行走长途而无多食,疾病随行的动物众多而易发.
Finally, Amina’s mother decided it was time to pack up their bukkaru house and head back to the village.
最后,Amina的母亲决定,是时候收拾他们的Bukkaru房子并返回村庄了。
They still did not have enough money for Amina to go back to school.
他们仍然没有足够的钱让阿米纳回到学校去.
Instead, she watched over the herd, which was how, one day, she spotted a car rumbling down the road toward the village.
相反,她看着牛群, 有一天,她发现一辆汽车在向村里走去。
Curious, Amina followed the car all the way back to the village center, where a man climbed out of it.
好奇的是,阿米娜一路跟随车回了村里中心,一个男人从那里爬出.
He carried a hefty stack of maps and charts, and many people gathered around to hear what he had to say.
他带着一叠高高的地图和图表,许多人聚集一堂听取他必须说的话.
“Peace be upon you, my name is Amadou Sow, and I am here on behalf of the Great Green Wall,” the man explained.
“祝你平安,我叫阿马杜·索乌,我代表绿色长城来到这里。”
“It’s an African-led movement to restore land across the continent, tackle desertification, and bring back prosperity!”
“这是一个由非洲主导的运动, “
At once, the villagers began peppering him with questions, and Monsieur Sow patiently answered each one.
村民们立刻开始向他提出问题,索先生耐心地回答每个问题.
Amina was not sure she understood everything, but what she did learn was that people were going to plant trees all across Africa.
阿米娜不确定她是否理解一切,但她所学到的就是人们将在非洲各地植树.
This was the Great Green Wall—not a structure made of brick or wood, but one made of living trees to create a barrier between the desert and the Sahel.
这是绿色长城——不是由砖或木构成的建筑,而是由活生生的树木所成的建筑,在沙漠和萨赫勒之间形成屏障。
They would be strong, drought-resistant trees that would help repair the landscape and fight soil erosion.
它们将是坚固、抗旱的树木,有助于修复地貌并防治土壤侵蚀。
“The Great Green Wall will not just restore the land—it will also provide jobs and security,” Monsieur Sow promised.
“大绿色 隔离墙不仅能恢复土地,而且能提供工作和安全。
“Once the trees have strong roots, they will help hold water in the soil, so you can grow other crops and feed yourselves and your cattle.
“一旦树根坚固,它们就帮助将水储存在地上,以便你们种植别的庄稼,供养你们自己和你们的牲畜。
We will give you everything you need: training, materials, and seedlings.
我们将提供你所需要的一切:训练、材料和幼苗。
One day, you will be able to tell your children you helped create a natural wonder of the world!”
有一天你会告诉你的孩子 你帮助创造了一个自然的奇迹 世界! “
The Great Green Wall is a real project!
大绿 墙是一个真正的项目!
Since 2007, eleven African countries have signed up to participate in this unique effort to combat climate change.
自2007年以来,11个非洲国家已报名参加这一应对气候变化的独特努力。
Each country developed its own national action plan and is working with local communities to plant a 6,900-kilometer (4,300 mi.)
每个国家都制定了自己的国家行动计划,并与当地社区合作种植了6 900公里(4 300米)。
“green wall” of trees across the African continent.
非洲大陆树木的“绿墙”。
Thirty- two million hectares (79 million ac.)
3200万公顷(7900万ac.
of land have been restored so far, providing food, jobs, and security.
迄今为止,已经恢复了土地,提供了粮食、工作和安全。
The goal is to restore 100 million hectares (24 million ac.)
目标是恢复一亿公顷(2400万ac.
by 2030.
在2030年之前。
In addition to adding trees, the Great Green Wall is transforming life in one of the poorest regions of the world.
除了增加树木外,"绿色长城"还在改变世界最贫穷地区之一的生活.
The Great Green Wall Women in Senegal successfully grow food on land made workable again by the Great Green Wall.
塞内加尔的"绿色长城"妇女成功地在土地上种植了粮食,而"绿色长城"又使粮食再次可行.
Amina raced home as fast as her feet could carry her and repeated everything she had heard to her mother.
Amina跑回家的快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快快
Amina’s mother looked doubtful.
Amina的母亲看起来很可疑。
“It sounds too good to be true.
“这听起来太好,不能是真的。
A miracle is what we need, not some baby trees,” she said.
一个奇迹就是我们需要的,而不是一些婴儿树。
“This is our miracle,” Amina insisted, hands on her hips.
“这是我们的奇迹,”阿米娜坚持说,手放在她的臀部上。
She pointed at the empty landscape all around them.
她指向周围的空地貌.
“Besides, what do we have to lose by trying?”
“除此之外,我们还必须通过尝试而失去什么? “
The next day, Amina and her mother signed up to help with the local work on the Great Green Wall.
次日,阿米娜与她的母亲签约,协助当地进行"绿色长城"的工作.
There were fewer helpers than Amina had hoped, since many people had left the village to look for jobs elsewhere, but there were enough.
帮助者比阿米纳所希望的要少,因为许多人已经离开村庄去其他地方找工作,但已经足够了.
Over the next few weeks, Monsieur Sow brought several hundred acacia seedlings and showed everyone how to plant them far enough apart for the roots to grow wide and strong.
在接下来的几个星期里,索先生带来了几百个阿卡西亚幼苗,并告诉大家如何将它们植入相距足够远的树根来长出宽而强.
Next, they built fences to keep out hungry cattle and goats.
接下来,他们建造了围栏来挡住饥饿的牛和山羊.
It was hard work, but doing it together as a community felt powerful.
虽然工作很辛苦,但当一个社区感到力量强大时,却一起工作。
There was more laughter in the village than there had been in months.
村子里的笑声比几个月多。
“When the trees have grown bigger, I will come back and show you how to prune them,” Monsieur Sow said.
“等树木变大后,我将回来教你如何浇灌树木。”
The seedlings were still very small, but looking at the little specks of green poking out of the soil filled Amina’s heart with hope.
幼苗仍然很小,但看一看从地上取出绿地的小斑点,让阿米纳的心充满了希望.
The hivernage was late again that year, but after it had passed, the little trees grew bigger and stronger.
蜂巢于同年再次晚出,但经过后,小树也逐渐变大更坚固.
The plan was working!
计划成功了!
The only difficulty was that there were still many hungry animals in the village, and not everyone respected the fence.
唯一的困难是村里仍然有许多饥饿的动物,不是每个人都尊重围栏.
One day, Amina spied a boy standing by as his goats leaped over the barrier and began munching on the seedlings.
一天,阿米娜在山羊从屏障上跳出时 监视着一个男孩 开始在幼苗上打猎
“Hey!”
"嘿!" (英语)
Amina shouted.
阿米娜大叫着
“Don’t you know those are the beginnings of the Great Green Wall?”
“难道你不知道这些是绿色长城的起点吗? “
“Pah!”
"帕哈!" (中文(简体) ).
the boy scoffed.
那个男孩嘲笑。
“ All I see are a bunch of small trees, and my goats are hungry now.
“...... 只见一串小树,我山羊已饥.
We don’t have time to wait for some imaginary wall to grow.”
我们没有时间等待一些想象中的墙会长出来。 “
“I know it’s hard to wait.
“我知道这很难等待。
I’m impatient, too,” Amina said.
我也很不耐烦,
“Just imagine with me: one day, these trees will be taller than us, taller than our houses.
“只要和我想象一下:有一天,这些树会比我们高,比我们的房子高。
They will stretch from here in Senegal all the way across the Sahel to Djibouti (jih-BOO-tee).
他们将从塞内加尔这里一直延伸到萨赫勒至吉布提。
If we wait for them to grow, they’ll protect us from the desert, and the land will grow healthy again.
他们会保护我们免受沙漠的侵扰,
Your goats will have enough to eat, and so will my family’s cattle.
你们的山羊将有足够的食物,我的家人的牲畜也将如此。
The whole village will be better.
整个村子会更好
Men won’t need to leave the village to look for work, the herds can stay close to home, and children can go to school again.
男人不需要离开村子寻找工作,
Isn’t all that worth the wait?
这不值得等待吗?
We just have to have patience and strength, like the trees.”
我们只要有耐心和力量 就像树一样 “
“Sure, I would like all that to happen, but it’s hard to just wait,” the boy admitted.
“当然,我希望这一切发生,但很难等待,”这名男孩承认。
“Will it go faster if I help with the work on the project?”
“如果我帮助该项目, “
“Of course,” Amina said.
“当然,”Amina说。
“Let’s start with your goats!”
"让我们从你的山羊开始吧!"
She and the boy rounded up his goats and drove them away from the growing acacia trees.
她和男孩围住他的山羊,把他们赶出正在生长的阿卡西亚树.
Eight Years Later Amina had just finished packing her bag when her teacher, Monsieur Diallo, stopped by her house in the village.
八年后,阿米娜刚收拾好她的包 她的老师迪亚洛先生在村里她家附近
He smiled proudly as she slung her bag over her shoulder, and Amina’s mother did, too.
Amina的母亲也笑了起来。
“ Are you ready for university?”
“...... 你准备好上大学了吗? “
he asked.
他问。
“It will be a big change, moving to Dakar.
“向达喀尔移动将是一个巨大的变化。
City life is different from village life, you know.”
城市生活不同于乡村生活,你知道。 “
Amina looked toward the acacia forest that was growing strong and tall just outside the village.
Amina看着村外生长出坚固而高高的阿卡西亚森林。
Over the last eight years, the Great Green Wall had thrived.
在过去八年中,绿色长城蓬勃发展。
Eighteen million drought- resistant trees had been planted in Senegal alone!
仅在塞内加尔就种植了1 800万棵抗旱树木。
In Amina’s village, the trees had strengthened the soil and helped the grass grow back for the cattle to eat.
在阿米纳的村庄里,树木使土壤更加坚固,并帮助草地重新生长,供牛吃.
The village had even saved enough money to pay for solar panels for the school, and Amina had been able to resume her studies.
该村甚至为学校节省了足够多的钱来支付太阳能电池板,阿米纳得以恢复学业.
“I will miss watching the trees grow,” Amina admitted as her mother squeezed her shoulder in sympathy.
“我会怀念看着树木生长,”Amina承认,她的母亲为了同情而捏住她的肩膀。
“But did I tell you how I plan to use my scholarship?
“但我有没有告诉你我打算如何使用我的奖学金?
I’m going to study environmental science and give back to the earth, just like the earth has given to me!”
我要学习环境科学, “
Glossary barrier (n.)
词汇障碍 (n.)
a natural or human-made object that blocks movement or access (p.
阻碍运动或进入的自然或人造物体(p.
8) desertification (n.)
8) 荒漠化(n.)