VOA慢速英语:Kenya has Promised Free Laptop Computers to Every First-year Student

Kenya's recently elected President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised free laptop computers to every first-year student in the Country Schools. But some people questioned whether Kenya is ready and whether the president's plans can really succeed.
肯尼亚最近新当选总统乌呼鲁•肯雅塔承诺向乡村小学每位一年级学生免费提供笔记本电脑。但有些人质疑肯尼亚是否具有这样的能力，以及这位总统的计划是否真的能够实现。

Provision of the computers is to begin early next year. First-year students at schools like the Muthaiga primary school outside Nairobi, currently learned the traditional way with chalkboards, textbooks, and memorization.
电脑将于明年年初开始发放。在内罗毕郊外的Muthaiga小学这样的学校就读的一年级学生目前正使用黑板、教科书和记忆法则这些传统方式来学习。

Muthaiga's head teacher Bernadette Owino said the new technology could provide excellent chances for learning for her students.
Muthaiga小学校长Bernadette Owino表示，新科技能够为学生的学习提供很好的机会。

"The world is becoming a small village and you need to connect with the rest of the world, only if you're computer literate. And it will also give the children a chance as they progress and grow to be able to research and have more knowledge. I think it's a great idea if it works. It's beautiful. "
“世界正在成为一个小地球村，你需要与世界其它地方联系。电脑还有利于孩子的进步和成长，让他们进行研究，掌握更多的知识。如果计划得以实施，我想这是个很棒的主意，太棒了。”

Educators and students may be excited and pleased about the government's laptop program, but others say the country is not ready. Many teachers still are not able to use computers themselves, and a lot of schools are in poor condition, and do not have electric power.
教育工作者和学生们可能对政府的笔记本计划感到很兴奋，但有人说肯尼亚并未准备好。许多教师自己还不会使用电脑，很多学校年久失修，而且没有电。

The post-primary teachers union says it supports the idea of giving computers to first-year students, but the union's Secretary General Akelo Misori said students and teachers must first made basic requirements.
小学教师工会表示，他们支持向一年级学生提供电脑的计划。但工会秘书长Akelo Misori说，学生和教师们必须先满足基本的要求。

"If basic skills of math and reading are still a challenge in our primary schools, then it means, therefore, that the introduction of technology in schools through laptops may not be a viable component of our learning circumstances now."
“如果小学里基本的数学和阅读技能都仍是个问题的话，那么在这些学校引入电脑将不会成为我们目前学习环境的有用成分。”

The laptop program was a major campaign promise of Mr Kenyatta who won the election in March by a narrow vote. But the idea started at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi.
Kenyatta先生于三月份以微弱优势赢得选举，笔记本项目是他在竞选中的承诺。但该想法来源于内罗毕的Jomo Kenyatta农业技术大学。

Suleman Okech heads a team that is proposing ways to put the program into effect. The computers to be used operate on solar power.
Suleman Okech领导了一个团队，他们提出建议来落实这个项目。这些电脑将使用太阳能。

Suleman Okech said every new program has difficulties that have to be faced, he said his team's challenges include training teachers to manage school's getting computers. But he said he believes the teacher can do what is required.
Suleman Okech说，每个新项目都必须面对一些困难，他说自己团队面临的挑战包括，培训教师来管理学校获得的电脑。但他说相信老师们可以达到要求。

And he added that if the program goes ahead, its effects would extent far beyond the classroom. He said to produce half a million laptops by January, 12,000 people would have be to employed, but there are budget worries.
他补充到，如果该项目顺利进行，其影响会远远超出课堂。他说为了在一月份之前生产50万台电脑，将雇佣1.2万名工人，但他们担心预算问题。

The new government is still working on the country's budget and how to pay for the program. Providing laptop computers for all first-year school children in Kenya is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
新政府仍在制定该国的预算方案，以及研究如何支付该项目。预计向肯尼亚所有一年级学生提供笔记本电脑将耗资数亿美元。