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This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. com.
这里是bbclearningenglish. com英语六分钟节目。
Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Rob.
大家好，欢迎大家收听今天英语六分钟节目，我是Rob。
Vera: And hello, I'm Vera.
大家好，我是Vera。
Rob: In today's programme, we have news of a pioneering scheme to help families in one of the World's poorest countries.
在本期节目中，我们要谈论的新闻是一项开创性性的计划，该计划是为了帮助生活在世界上最贫困的国家之一的人们。
Vera: Yes, that country is Nepal, where it is estimated 40% of the population live in poverty. So they have poor living standards and do not have access to facilities that some of us take for granted. But how bad do things have to be to live in poverty?
是的，这个国家就是尼泊尔，据估计，该国40%的人口生活在贫困之中。因此他们的生活水平很低，他们连最基本的生活设施也没有。贫困的生活到底有多糟糕呢？
Rob: It's a good question. The government in Nepal has launched a new scheme to assess the extent of poverty in the country – in other words, to find out how bad it really is.
这是个好问题。尼泊尔政府已经出台了一项新计划，意在评估该国的贫困程度，换句话说，看看这个国家到底有多贫困。
Vera: It's very keen to find out exactly how many people are living below the poverty line, or in other words, to work out who the poorest people are.
该国希望找出到底有多少人生活在贫困线以下，换句话说，找出谁才是最贫困的人。
Rob: We'll find out more about this scheme shortly but, as always, we like to start the programme with a question to think about. So here is the question. According to the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, which is the poorest country in the world? Is it: a) The Democratic Republic of Congo b) Malawi or c) Burkina Faso
稍后，我们将快速浏览一下该计划，和往常一样，我们先来问一个问题。问题是：据国际货币基金组织（IMF）介绍，世界上最贫困的国家是刚果民主共和、国马拉维还是布基纳法索？
Vera: I would take a guess that it's Malawi.
我猜是马拉维。
Rob: Malawi, b. Well, we will find out if you're right at the end of the programme. But before then, let's talk more about this new scheme by the Nepalese government to assess the extent of poverty in the country.
马拉维，好的，我们会在节目最后再看你的回答是否正确。但是在这之前，我们先来看看尼泊尔政府评估该国贫困程度的新计划。
Vera: It's a massive undertaking because officials will be going from house to house across the country gathering data.
这是一项艰巨的任务，因为官员们将在全国各地挨家挨户走访并收集数据。
Rob: It could take some time. But once this data – or information – is collected, what are the government going to do with it?
这可能要花一些时间。但是收集完数据之后，政府将有何作为呢？
Vera: Let's hear from the BBC's Jill McGivering, who can tell us a bit more about what is going on.
让我们来听听BBC记者吉尔·麦吉弗林的报道，她能告诉我们更多与这项计划相关的进展状况。
Officials in Nepal are starting a massive task: going from house to house across the country, gathering data about each family's income, assets and how much food they have to eat. They're trying to identify those living in extreme poverty - people who go hungry for either three, six or nine months of each year. They'll later allocate new 'poverty cards' which will make these families eligible in the future for government subsidies - cheaper food, education and health care. Officials expect about a quarter of the population to be issued with them.
尼泊尔的官员正在进行一项艰巨的任务：挨家挨户走访全国各地居民，采集家庭收入、财产和食物消耗量等数据。他们正在试图找出那些生活极度贫困的人们——一年至少挨饿3、6或9个月的人们。随后他们会分发新的“贫困卡”，持卡的贫困家庭在未来将有资格获得政府的补助——便宜的食物，教育和医疗保健。官员们预计全国大约四分之一的人口都能获得这种贫困卡。
Rob: So, we heard that the government is trying to identify those living in extreme poverty – so the worst kind of poverty.
因此，报道称，政府正在试图找出那些生活极度贫困的人们——最贫穷的人们。
Vera: It will be finding out about people's income, their assets - so what they own – and how much food they have to eat. Those who are in extreme poverty have been defined as people who go without food for between three and nine months each year.
该计划将调查出人们的收入、财产——他们所拥有的东西，以及他们能吃多少食物。极度贫困的人们指的是每年3到9个月没有食物吃的人群。
Rob: Those people who fall into this category will later be allocated 'poverty cards' which give these families subsidies – or financial support – for food, education and health care.
这一类人随后将收到“贫困卡”，该卡能让这些家庭得到补贴——资金补助、食物和医疗保健。
Vera: And the scheme could help a quarter of the population, so it sounds like a good idea.
这项计划能够帮到四分之一的人口，听起来的确是个好主意。
Rob: It does. Many people have welcomed the idea but there are challenges too in running such a big scheme. Let's hear from the BBC's Jill McGivering again. See if you can hear what the challenges are.
的确。该计划得到了很多人的支持，但是在实施该大型计划时人们遇到了一些挑战。我们再来听一段吉尔·麦吉弗林的报道，看你能否听出这些挑战是什么。
The government's been talking for years about introducing a scheme like this. Those involved are delighted that the process has finally started, although this is only the first phase and no-one's sure how many months it will take just to survey the whole country. They describe it as pioneering but also admit there will be challenges. Making sure people give accurate information, for example, preventing bias against different ethnic groups and protecting the programme from fraud and corruption. The best judges, of course, will be Nepal's most poor - whose burden this new national programme is supposed to ease.
政府多年来一直在探讨该计划的实施。参与计划的官员们都很高兴，这项计划终于开始了，虽然这仅仅是第一个阶段而且没人知道对全国各地的调查将持续多少个月。他们认为这项计划具有开创性，但也承认会有挑战。例如，他们要确保数据的准确性，防止种族歧视，防止欺骗和腐败。当然，最好的法官将是尼泊尔最贫穷的人——新的国家计划应该为其减轻生存压力。
Vera: So there are a number of challenges in running this scheme. They include relying on people to give accurate information and preventing bias – or prejudice – against different ethnic groups.
因此，该计划的实施会面临很多挑战，其中包括确保人们所给出的数据的准确性、防止种族歧视。
Rob: Yes, there are many different ethnic groups in Nepal, so it's important to make sure that one isn't favoured over another. Finally, there's a risk that there could be fraud and corruption because of the economic advantages on offer to the poorest families.
是的，尼泊尔的确有很多不同种族，因此确保种族平等是很重要的。最后，还可能存在欺诈和腐败行为，因为要向最贫困的家庭提供经济支持。
Vera: Of course, the other challenge is how many months it will take and no-one is really sure, especially because of the mountainous terrain that some people live in.
当然，另一个挑战就是没人知道这项计划将会持续多长，特别是有些人还居住在山区。
Rob: But people seem delighted – or happy – that after years of talking, something is finally being done to tackle poverty in Nepal.
但是人们看起来还是很高兴的——经过这么多年的讨论，政府终于开始着手解决尼泊尔的贫困问题了。
Vera: But who can really tell if it's successful or not?
但是谁会知道计划能否成功呢？
Rob: Well, the best judges – as we heard – are Nepal's poor, whose lives may be made a little easier.
就像报道中所说的一样，最好的法官就是尼泊尔最贫穷的人们，该计划可能会让他们的生活得到一些改善。
Vera: Well, something that isn't easy is your quiz question Rob.
Rob，你的问题并不简单。
Rob: Really?! Well, earlier I asked you, according to the IMF, which is the world's poorest country? a) The Democratic Republic of Congo was it b) Malawi or c) Burkina Faso
是吗？！之前我问过你，据IMF介绍，哪个国家最穷？刚果民主共和国、马拉维还是布基纳法索
Vera: And I said Malawi. Was I right?
我选是马拉维。对吗？
Rob: I'm afraid you were wrong. The answer is actually The Democratic Republic of Congo. OK, it's almost time to go now but before we do, Vera, please can you remind us of some of the vocabulary we heard today?
恐怕你错了。正确答案是刚果民主共和国。好的，节目即将结束，Vera，你能帮大家回顾一下今天听到的词汇吗？
Vera: Yes, of course. We heard: pioneering, the extent, data, allocated, subsidies, bia, scorruption, terrain
当然可以。开创性的，程度，数据，分配，补助，偏见，腐败，地形
Rob: Thanks Vera. We hope you've enjoyed today's programme. Please join us again soon for more 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish. com. Bye for now!
谢谢你Vera。希望大家能够喜欢今天的节目，欢迎继续收听我们下一期的BBC六分钟。再见！
Vera: Bye!
再见！
That was 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. com.
以上是bbclearningenglish. com英语六分钟节目。
