VOA标准英语2012--Nigerian Gold Miners Seek the Right to Mine
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(十月)
Nigerian Gold Miners Seek the Right to Mine
Gold mining in this part of northern Nigeria is not glamorous 1. But these men say it’s more dignified 2 than extreme poverty, which used to be the norm around here.
Sani Bila heads a local mining association. As he perches 3 on a pile of rocks laced with gold, he says nowadays business is booming.
“We used to sell a gram of gold for 1,000 or 1,500 Naira ($6-$9). But now we sell one gram for 5,000 ($30),” Bila said.
Other miners say success is coupled with fear, as the government continues to call their operations illegal.
At a news conference in the capital, Abuja, State Minister of Health Muhammad Ali Pate 4 says a lot of small-scale mining is illegal because it is dangerous. He blames the small operations for the lead poisoning outbreak that has crippled the Zamfara region and killed hundreds of children.
“People do illegal mining and bring their mining products home and process it. Inadvertently they poison their environment with lead which ends up in their children,” Pate said.
Pate says the lead poisoning is caused by dust emitted as gold is processed. But activists 5 say the threat of mining bans only aggravates 6 the crisis.
Ivan Gayton, of Doctors Without Borders, says miners don’t invest in safety measures because their incomes could disappear at any time.
“As long as you don’t have legal title to what you are doing of course you can’t invest in better and safer techniques. You have to go for the short-term gain. You go for the cheapest way to do it possible,” Gayton said.
Gayton says small-scale mining will continue, deep in the forest, legal or not. And if it’s a crime, he says, miners may not seek help if their children are poisoned by lead.
When asked if their operation is legal, these miners are silent. Hassan Haruna, the secretary of their mining association pushes through the crowd to respond:
“We don’t know those who own the mine here. We are doing it, let me tell you, illegally. Henceforth we don’t have any single paper to go and mine. But they told us to form an organization and we did that,” Haruna said.
To mine legally, they not only need to stave off a ban, they also need to buy the rights to their mines. A 2007 law gave all mineral rights to the federal government and mining leaders say they are trying to organize so they can buy titles before international corporations move in.
These men say they fear neither bans nor licensing 7 laws and they will continue to work in peace. But before they would allow a camera on site they insisted that their exact location be kept a secret.
- The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
- It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。
- Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
- He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
- Other protection can be obtained by providing wooden perches througout the orchards. 其它保护措施是可在种子园中到处设置木制的栖木。
- The birds were hopping about on their perches and twittering. 鸟儿在栖木上跳来跳去，吱吱地叫着。
- The few strands of white hair at the back of his gourd-like pate also quivered.他那长在半个葫芦样的头上的白发，也随着笑声一齐抖动着。
- He removed his hat to reveal a glowing bald pate.他脱下帽子，露出了发亮的光头。
- His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
- Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- If he aggravates me any more I shall punish him. 如果他再惹我生气，我就要惩罚他。
- Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each pther. 没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。