【英语听和读】罗宾

 Dima: Hello, I'm Dima, and today we are seeing … a doctor. But not an ordinary

doctor. Robin 1 Coupland is the adviser 2 on armed violence for the International
Committee of the Red Cross who has spent many years as a field surgeon
treating victims of landmines 4.
Landmines are bombs that are placed on or under the ground and explode when
someone steps on them. Just over ten years ago, countries began to sign the
Ottawa Convention 5 banning landmines, and today 156 countries have made it a
law. But although most countries no longer produce or use them, landmines left
over from the past conflicts continue to affect many people across the world. In
a moment we'll hear Robin Coupland's account of his work as a surgeon in
Afghanistan. It's a shocking account that contains some of the language you
may hear in news reports about war and conflict. Listen out for these words:
'limbs 7', meaning arms or legs of a person; 'mine injury', that's a wound caused
by the explosion of a landmine 3; and 'amputee', meaning a person whose arm or
leg had to be cut off:
Coupland 0'30'
I remember my first day in the hospital on the Afghan border of Pakistan in Peshawar - when
I walked in, there were just lots of young people, mostly men, without limbs. And then after a
few weeks you realize you dread 8 the radio call that says, 'Another mine injury coming',
because those two words, 'mine injury', meant a very specific kind of wound, a specific
disability that you're going to be leaving, another amputee... More blood loss, longer in the
operating theatre… 
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Dima: Dr Coupland says, whenever there was a radio call saying, 'Another mine
injury coming', he knew it meant another amputee, in other words another
person whose limb 6 was damaged in a landmine explosion so badly that it
would have to be cut off. Listen to Robin Coupland again and this time try to
answer this question: which verb does he use to describe his reaction to the
news of a new injury?
Coupland 0'30'
I remember my first day in the hospital on the Afghan border of Pakistan in Peshawar - when
I walked in, there were just lots of young people, mostly men, without limbs. And then after a
few weeks you realize you dread the radio call that says, 'Another mine injury coming',
because those two words, 'mine injury', meant a very specific kind of wound, a specific
disability that you're going to be leaving, another amputee... More blood loss, longer in the
operating theatre…
Dima: Did you hear the verb Dr Coupland used to describe his reaction to a new
injury? It was 'dread'. 'To dread', meaning to feel extremely frightened or
anxious about something that is going to happen.
Sting 9
Dima: Today we're talking to Robin Coupland, a surgeon who has for many years
treated victims of landmines in many countries. Now, it's true that since 1997,
when the Ottawa Convention was first opened for signature, a lot has been
done to get rid of landmines. Over forty-million mines have been destroyed
and thousands of square kilometres of land have been cleared. But while it's
good news for the future, Dr Coupland says it's not much comfort to victims.
As you're listening to him, look out for this language: 'disabled people' - that's
people who lack one or more of the physical or mental abilities that most
people have; in this case, victims of landmines; 'prostheses' - artificial body
parts, such as an arm, foot or tooth, which replace a missing part; and 'human 
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impact', meaning a powerful effect that something has on a person. Here's
Robin Coupland:
Coupland 0'21'
There are certainly fewer landmine injuries, but of course a... an amputation 10 is an amputation
for life, and so that does not mean that the number of services that have to be provided to
disabled people will certainly have to be... have to be less. Those people will need new
prostheses every three or four years and so the human impact continues.
Dima: Here are those words and word combinations again: 'disabled people',
'prostheses' and 'human impact'. Let's listen to Robin Coupland again, and as
you're listening, see if you can answer this question: Does he think the number
of services for the disabled will go down in the near future? Listen:
Coupland 0'21'
There are certainly fewer landmine injuries, but of course a... an amputation is an amputation
for life, and so that does not mean that the number of services that have to be provided to
disabled people will certainly have to be... have to be less. Those people will need new
prostheses every three or four years and so the human impact continues.
Dima: Dr Coupland says the number of services will not go down because landmine
victims will continue to need regular treatment for the rest of their lives.
That's all we have time for today. Let's finish by reminding ourselves of some
of the language we've heard in this programme:
'limb'
'mine injury'
'amputee'
'to dread'
'disabled people'
'prosthesis' and
'human impact'.
Join us again next time for more People and places, but for now goodbye!