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 Christian 1 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, winding 2 streets of the Rawalpindi, a small Christian hospice led by Irish nuns 3 has taken care of the destitute 4 and disabled for  50 years.

But the hospice that caters 5 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 cerebral 6 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 Christians 7 to depart, leaving few donors 8.

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 chronically 9 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. "Dressings 10, 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 prospect 11 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? Insufficient 12 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。”