考研英語時文賞讀：那些被裝在塑料袋里的孩子

考研英語來源：同源外刊 2019-08-09　

Vietnamese Children Taken Across River in Plastic Bags to Get to School

越南的孩子們被裝在塑料袋里過河去上學

A couple of Vietnamese villagers have been working together to ferry a group of schoolchildren in plastic bags across a river just so they can get an education.

幾個越南村民一起把孩子們裝在塑料袋里送過河，好讓他們能去上學。

The children of the Huoi Ha village in Vietnam risk their lives on their way to school every time there are strong rapids during the rainy season, according to Voice of Vietnam.

據《越南之聲》報道，每逢雨季來臨，越南霍海村的孩子們都要冒著生命危險渡過湍急的河流去上學。

The children normally rely on the makeshift bamboo bridge that was set up by the village to help people cross the stream. During the rain, the children often resort to using rafts, but problems usually occur when the rapids are too strong.

孩子們通常會走臨時架設的竹橋過河，竹橋是村民們為方便人們過河而建造的。在雨季來臨之際，孩子們通常會劃著木筏過河，但如果水流太過湍急，問題就會產生。

So, the fathers of the children came up with a solution to put them into a plastic bag and carry them across the stream.

于是，這些孩子的父親們想出了一個解決辦法，他們把孩子們裝進塑料袋里，然后拖著袋子前往對岸。

“We have warned local residents of latent risks to travel through the stream by plastic bags, but the swift-flowing water can also sweep rafts away, so they have to choose this way,”said Vang A Po chairman Na Sang Commune.“Earlier, a local person was injured in a capsized raft here.”

那桑公社的主席 Vang A Po 說：“我們警告過當地居民使用塑料袋渡河是存在潛在風險的，但湍急的水流很容易把木筏沖走，所以他們也是迫不得已才選擇這種方式來渡河的。早先時候有一位當地人在渡河時因木筏側翻而受傷。”

Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Phu, chairman of Muong Cha District, claimed that using the bags is common in the area.

與此同時，Muong Cha 區主席 Nguyen Minh Phu 也表示，使用塑料袋過河的方法其實在該地區很常見。

While the method is effective, the chairman insisted that they only use it as a last resort when the stream is high and it is dangerous to pass the bridge.

但他強調，雖然利用塑料袋過河的方法很管用，但只有當河流水位高漲、過橋危險時，才會將其作為最后的選擇。

However, after the obstacle of crossing the stream is done, the children and their families still have to walk for five more hours on a slippery terrain before they reach the school. The children often stay at the school for a week before coming home to their parents during the weekend.

但即使借助塑料袋安全渡過了河流，孩子們和家長們還得在濕滑難走的鄉間小路上再步行5個多小時才能到達學校。因此，孩子們一般都選擇住校，只有在周末時才會回家。

(全文共287個詞，環球時報)

重難點詞匯：

makeshift n. 權宜之計，湊合 adj. 臨時的，權宜之計的

resort n. 憑借，手段;度假勝地;常去之地 vi. 求助，訴諸;常去;采取某手段或方法

latent adj. 潛在的;潛伏的;隱藏的

capsize vt. 傾覆;翻覆;弄翻 vi. 翻;傾覆;翻覆

obstacle n. 障礙，干擾，妨礙;障礙物

slippery adj. 滑的;狡猾的;不穩定的