VOA慢速英语:Liberia Education Program Targets Illiterate Women

A United Nations agency estimates that 516 million of the world's women can not read and write. The U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- UNESCO says programs are needed to help illiterate women learn, although they are passed school age.
一个联合国机构估计全世界有5.16亿的妇女不会读写。联合国教科文组织称，虽然她们都过了上学的年龄，但还是需要推出一些方案来帮助文盲妇女学习。

Women make up two-thirds of all illiterate adults. The majority of these women live in West Africa, many girls in that area never go to school. But in Liberia, a new education program is giving women in their 30s, 40s and 50s another chance to learn to read and write.
妇女占到了所有成年文盲的的三分之二，这些妇女中的大部分居住在西非，该地区许多女孩从来没上过学。但是，在利比里亚，一项新的教育计划给予三十到五十多岁的妇女另一次学习读写的机会。

Pauline Rose heads UNESCO's worldwide monitoring report on Education for All, she says being illiterate causes huge problems in daily life. She notes situations like not being able to read directions on a medicine bottle, or the number on a bus.
Pauline Rose负责联合国教科文组织的全民教育全球监测报告。她说，作为文盲，会在日常生活中造成巨大的问题。她指出像不能阅读药瓶上的说明或公交车上的数字等情况。

"So there are real practical concerns about when women are illiterate."
“因此，当妇女是文盲时就会有实际的担忧。”

Miss Rose says illiterate affects not only the women but also their families, because women are often the main caregivers of children. She says when women are illiterate, they are less likely to use health services.
Rose小姐称，文盲不仅影响妇女，还有她们的家庭。因为女性往往是儿童的主要照顾者。她说，当妇女是文盲时，她们就不太可能使用医疗服务。

Some countries, like Senegal, have improved women's literacy rates through government efforts. They tell more girls in primary school and community programs about the importance of education. But there are still many nations where less than one in four women can read and write. They include Niger, Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso.
一些国家，如塞内加尔已经通过政府的努力提高妇女的识字率。他们告诉小学和社区项目中更多女孩关于教育的重要性。但仍然有许多国家只有不到四分之一的妇女会读写。它们包括尼日尔、贝宁、马里和布基纳法索。

Miss Rose says these countries need literacy programs that target women. She says there is a huge need for illiterate young women and adults to have a second-chance to read and write.
Rose小姐称，这些国家需要针对妇女的扫盲计划。她说，青年和成人文盲妇女在获得学习读写机会方面有巨大的需求。

Liberia for example, has launched a second-chance literacy campaign to teach women. The students never went to school, or they were forced to leave school because of ten years of civil war in the country.
例如，利比里亚已经发起了教育妇女的二次扫盲运动。由于该国十多年的内战，学生们从来都没上过学，或者被迫离开了学校。

Lonee Smith is 35 years old, she is a student at the adult literacy school at the Firestone Liberia Natural Rubber Company in Margibi County. Her parents did not sent her to school, and she could not read or write.
Lonee Smith今年35岁，她是马吉比州费尔斯通利比里亚天然橡胶公司成人扫盲学校的一名学生。她父母没有送她上学，她不会读和写。

Now she is in the first grade and has those skills. She sells her goods at the market and can now count her profit without help. She says having a second chance at education has changed her life.
现在，她就读一年级，并掌握了这些技能。她在市场销售她的产品，现在她可以在无人帮助的情况下自己计算利润。

"Today, I am a happy woman. I'm very proud."
“今天我是一个幸福的女人，我感到非常自豪。”

Liberia's Ministry of Education says 5,000 women currently study in adult literacy programs across the country.
利比里亚教育部称，目前，全国各地有5千名妇女在扫盲项目中学习。