终身难民找到了一个叫做家的地方
时间:2019-01-12 作者:英语课 分类:2016年VOA慢速英语(八)月
AS IT IS 2016-08-15 Lifelong Refugee 1 Finds a Place to Call Home 终身难民找到了一个叫做家的地方
The United Nations estimates that more than 45 million people worldwide are refugees 2.
For most of his life, Awadh Alsrya was a refugee. He was never a citizen of any country. Now, he finally has a place to call his home.
Alsrya became a citizen of the United States last month on July 4, American Independence Day. It was then that he, his two sons and 80 other people took the oath 3 of citizenship 4 at a ceremony in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Alsrya waited more than half a century before becoming a U.S. citizen.
"When I passed my (citizenship) test, I cried because this was my dream for 58 years. It was a long time. I was waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting."
Awadh Alsrya was born in Iraq. His parents were Palestinian refugees.
Before coming to the United States, Alsrya and his family lived in Baghdad. There, he operated a successful grocery business with an Iraqi partner.
In 2003, the United States and its allies 5 launched a military campaign to disarm 6 Iraq. The U.S.-Iraq War was followed by outbreaks of sectarian violence.
"Every day when I open my door, I see dead bodies in the street. When I go to my store, I see dead bodies in the street. This is not life."
When Alsrya’s business partner was shot and killed, and his wife was shot in the shoulder, the family got their belongings 7 and left Baghdad.
"I closed everything. I don't need anything. I lost all my money, all my businesses. I only wanted to save my sons and my family to leave because I thought one day, one month, my sons might get killed."
He and his family came to the United States six years ago through the State Department's refugee program. They resettled in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"Believe me, the first day when I came to America, I don't know what happened from my body, I just felt this is my country."
Now, Alsrya works in a grocery store, which is similar to his former business in Iraq. His youngest son also has a part-time job there.
"I like this job. I want to give (back) America because she gave me a citizenship. I want to give her more. Until now for six years, I didn't take a vacation..."
Since becoming U.S. citizens, he and his sons have requested passports for the first time in their lives.
"May my God give me more time to live. I will give back America more, more, more, more because America helped make my dream come true."
Words in This Story
oath – n. a formal and serious promise to do something
outbreak – n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease
sectarian – adj. relating to religious or political sects 8 and the difference between them
grocery – n. food sold at a store
- The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
- The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。
- The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
- They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民,不是经济移民。
- They swore an oath to carry out their duties faithfully.他们宣誓忠实履行自己的职责。
- They swore an oath of loyalty to the country.他们宣誓要报效祖国。
- He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生,但没有瑞典公民身分。
- Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后,她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
- The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。
- A number of the United States' allies had urged him not to take a hasty decision. 美国的一些盟友已力劝他不要急于作决定。
- The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
- He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。
- I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
- Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。