咕咕愛囉唆

水危機Water Crisis

乾淨用水及基礎衛生設施才是解決危機之道Clean water and basic sanitation can save millions

約莫八億人口甚至無法獲得基本安全用水；二十億人口沒有廁所可用。洗手和廁所對於預防疾病的傳播至關重要，而這二者都需要水。

「水資源基金會」表示，每年有將近一百萬人因為水、衛生設施或衛生相關的疾病而死亡。這些死亡數可以輕易透過安全用水或衛生設施而減少。根據發展中國家最大的非政府淨水提供機構「世界展望會」報導，每天就有八百多名五歲以下的孩童因為骯髒用水而死亡。

文化因素使得這個問題更趨複雜。諸如，「水資源基金會」和「世界銀行」等組織都強調，女孩的教育是根除貧窮的關。然而水危機對於女性的影響卻更為巨大，因為傳統性別角色往往會將取水的工作加諸在女性身上。

麥特·戴蒙身兼演員暨水資源倡導者便捎來好消息，他表示：「水危機事件悲慘的事，而且根本沒有理由發生，因為只要正確且迫切處理就可以獲得解決。」這就是戴蒙、U2波諾以及其他名人都選擇為這個議題奮鬥的原因。

直到我們成功教育自己、提高相關意識，並且支持有價值的水資源開發嘗試之後，才能解決水危機的問題。

Around 800 million people lack even basic access to safe water. Two billion people lack access to a toilet.

Handwashing and toilets are crucial to preventing the spread of disease, and water is necessary for both.

Water.org states that nearly 1 million people die each year from diseases related to water, sanitation or hygiene. Those deaths could easily be reduced with access to safe water or sanitation. World Vision世界展望會, the world’s largest non-governmental provider of clean water in the developing world, reports that dirty water kills more than 800 children under five every day.

Cultural factors complicate this problem. Organizations such as Water.org and the World Bank all emphasize that girls’ education is the key to eradicating poverty.

hygiene 個人衛生

The practice of good personal hygiene keeps most people from getting ill.

Restaurants need to follow the government standards of hygiene, or they will be closed down.

hygienic（adj.）衛生的

Hospital room must be hygienic, or patients will not recover from their illnesses.

eradicate 根除；杜絕

The deadly disease smallpox has been eradicated by a vaccine. 疫苗已經根除天花這個致命的疾病

We hire a pest control company to eradicate the cockroaches in our apartment.

專業的除蟲公司

The organization eradicate                                                                                                                                                                                       ed poverty in the African village by teaching different trades to the people here.不同的貿易活動

staggering numbers

If something is staggering, the idea is that it’s shocking or surprising.

If someone is staggering, that means they are walking in kind of a way that’s not very stable.

A number is staggering, it really just makes you think: Wow! That’s a kind of crazy.

non-governmental organization, NGO

blood runs/is thicker than water 血濃於水；形容親情的重要

show that family is more important than any other relationships in your life.

Blood ties are strong.

Karen’s cousin and her friend had weddings planned for the same day. She chose to go to her cousin’s wedding because blood runs/is thicker than water.

When Tom’s sister was going through a hard time, he was the first person there for her because blood runs/is thicker than water.

Tom helped his sister financially, because blood runs/is thicker than water.

But the water crisis disproportionately affects females because, more often than not, traditional gender roles place the work of fetching water on them.

The good news, says actor and water advocate Matt Damon, is that “the water crisis is tragic and totally unnecessary because it’s solvable if done right and with urgency.” That’s why celebrities like Damon, U2’s Bono and others choose to champion this particular issue.

It’s not until we educate ourselves, raise awareness and support worthy water development efforts that we can solve the water crisis problem.

advocate 支持者；提倡者

Vance is a strong advocate of human rights.

Nancy is a consumer advocate who works to protect people from unfair business practices. 消費者權益倡導者   免受不公平交易之害

advocate [ˋædvə͵ket] （v.）支持；提倡【注意發音不同】

Lillian advocates for fair living conditions for the refugees that enter our country.

主張難民有平等的居住環境

urgency [ˋædvəkɪt]（n.）緊急；急迫

Caroline sensed urgency in Joe’s voice when he called and asked for help.

If there is no feeling of urgency regarding the economic crisis, nothing will ever change.

urgent（adj.）

As soon as Vicki saw Rachel’s leg, she knew it was urgent to get Rachel to the hospital.

gender roles

more often than not多半

it’s generally more often that we do something than that we don’t do something.

done right and with urgency

to raise awareness

platform

IT tried to troubleshoot some issues with my iPad, but they haven’t found a solution.

I knew that you could troubleshoot！

You solve problem.

feel like a fish out of water 渾身不自在

To feel awkward尷尬的 in an unfamiliar or new situation.

Everyone else at the party already knew each other really well, so I felt like a fish out of water.

disproportionately 不成比例地；太大或太小；不相稱地