VOA慢速英语:An Internet router made specially for Africa

A team of Americans and Kenyans has developed an Internet router made especially for Africa. They say it keeps the Internet available even in areas with undependable Internet service. The device is called Brck [pronounced Brick], it can plug into an electric source, but it is also battery powered.
美国和肯尼亚科学家专为非洲开发了一种互联网路由器，他们称即使是在互联网不可靠的地区，这种路由器仍可提供网络服务。这种设备被称为Brck,它可以插到电源上，也可以由电池供电。

Al Banda is an Internet blogger in Cameroon. He saw the device for the first time  last week at an Information Technology Conference in Berlin, Germany. Mr. Banda says Brck could solve a problem he has experienced.
Al Banda是喀麦隆的一名互联网博客写手。他上周在柏林信息技术会议上首次看到这种设备，他说Brck可以解决自己遇到的问题。

"In Cameroon, in my community, we constantly have power outages, and you won't get access to the Internet. We constantly have the ISPs for any random reason just not providing the service they claim they're providing us, so a solution like that is an African answer to an African problem."
“在喀麦隆我住的地方，停电是常有的事，这样就没办法上网。因特网服务提供者们不断因为各种原因中断他们声称要给我们提供的服务，所以这样一种解决方案就是非洲问题的非洲答案。”

The Kenya-based noNPRofit technology company Ushahidi developed Brck after raising money through the crouse sourcing website Kickstarter. Ushahidi official Erik Hersman says the router is able to move among Internet networks.
总部在肯尼亚的非盈利科技公司Ushahidi通过克劳斯采购网站Kickstarter筹资开发了Brck。Ushahidi公司职员Erik Hersman表示，这种路由器能够在不同互联网络之间切换。

"If you have an Internet connection problem, it will "fail over" to the sim card, so you'll have 3G connectivity, which means that you can completely unplug it and take it with you wherever you want to go, and have connectivity along the way."
“一旦遇到互联网连接问题，它会‘故障切换’到SIM卡，这样就连接到3G网络。这意味着你可以把它完全拔下来带到任何你想要去的地方，这样就会一路有网络连接。”

Mr. Hersman says Brck will go into production as soon as the company raises $125,000. Ushahidi has collected about half that so far. The company plans to make up to 1,500 devices at first, mainly for Africa and India. Mr. Hersman expects each device to sell for about $100.
Hersman先生说一旦公司筹集到12.5万美元，就会批量生产。目前该公司已经筹集了近半，计划先生产1500台，主要供应非洲和印度。Hersman先生预计每台设备售价约为100美元。

James Clardy is a technology developer from Texas. He has already bought a Brck and says he is exploring the use of these technologies for building telehealth and telemedicine.
James Clardy是来自德克萨斯的技术开发人员. 他已经购买了一台Brck，他表示自己正在探索使用这些技术构建远程医疗系统。

In a seperate story, A creative program combining wireless phones, pregnant women and health advice is been launched in South Africa, the program called Mama sends maternal advice to expectant and new mothers through text messages.
另据报道，南非目前启动一个有创意的项目，结合了无线电话、孕妇和卫生资讯。该项目名叫Mama，它会通过短信向孕妇和新妈妈发送母性建议。

Mama is the  Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, it is based on the idea that wireless phones are the most dependable way to reach people. Right now, three of every four people in the world use cellphones.
Mama是孕产妇移动联盟的简称，它是基于无线电话是传达到人的最为可靠的方式这样一种理念。目前全球每四人中就有三人使用手机。

Mama sends up to three messages a week. For example, one such message is about caring for a new-born baby's umbilical cord. It explains how infection of the cord can make a baby sick, then it tells how to keep the cord clean and infection free.
Mama每周发送三条信息，比如，一条是关于护理新生儿脐带。解释了脐带感染如何使得婴儿生病，随后说明如何保持脐带清洁和防感染。

About 800 women die everyday from pregnancy related problems, and infant death rates are in the millions. Mama is a partnership between the American government and private companies. The program was first established in Bangladesh and soon to arrive in India.
每天约有800名妇女死于与怀孕相关的疾病，而婴儿死亡达到百万。Mama是美国政府和私营公司的一种合作伙伴关系。该项目最初在孟加拉国成立，然后很快传到印度。