He can’t read or write, but Zumra Nuru created a society that would have made Karl Marx proud. The 60-year-old Ethiopian farmer founded Awra Amba, a community where men cook, women plow, and religion has no place. The experimental community first came to national awareness when Nuru gave an interview on national television a few years ago. Since then numerous people have come to see the success for themselves. “I was completely attracted by the community,” says a foreign visitor. “I regard it as the model for the world on how gender issues should be treated.” But achieving this level of recognition was a long time in coming. During his childhood, Nuru was disliked by his family and neighbors not only for his support for gender equality but for his opposition to institutionalized religion. In his 20s he became a wandering preacher of his own ideals. “I traveled to find people who would accept my ideas,” he says, believing no religion other than honesty and love for fellow humans. In the 1980s he gathered a group in the Amhara region and together they established Awra Amba – meaning “top of the hill.” Today the community has some 400 members and is considered as a model to reduce poverty and promote gender equality. Weaving is one of the symbols of Awra Amba. In Ethiopian society, weaving is women’s work, yet men and women work side by side here in Awra Amba. The hand-woven scarves, clothes, and blankets are sold in the village shop. The community does not accept donations, but offers its products for sale.
Their reputation for being honest is also paying off. Donkeys with bags of grains wait beside the village grain mills. “Neighboring farmers prefer to use our mills because they trust us not to cheat them,” says a villager. The villagers are well fed and clothed. Children play instead of working. Still, the village hopes to earn more money in order to build water and sewage systems, pave the road, and create an education fund for the children. In a tour for visitors, the locals proudly show off the simple but clean mud-built library and the classroom, where children below 5 study before attending the district public school. “Education is very important to this community,” says a young villager, who will be attending university this year. The village is unique not only for its attitudes toward gender, religion and education, but also for the social security it provides its members in need. There’s a home for the elderly with 24-hour care and a committee that helps out new mothers. Early and forced marriages are forbidden. The village’s success has made it a subject of many studies. It’s a good example for other Ethiopian communities – and even beyond Ethiopia – because of its gender equality, its work ethic, and its social security system. 生词注释 1. gender n. 性别 2. institutionalized a. 制度化的或习俗化的 3. preacher n. 讲道者 4. region n. 地区 5. mill n. 磨坊 6. ethic n. 道德规范、伦理 难句解析 1. The 60-year-old Ethiopian farmer founded Awra Amba, a community where men cook, women plow, and religion has no place. 解析：Awra Amba“奥拉安巴”为社区名，和community是同位关系；where引导定语从句修饰先行词community。参考译文如下：“在这位60岁的埃塞俄比亚老农创建的社区中，男人做饭，女人耕田，宗教在那里根本没有立足之地。” 2. The experimental community first came to national awareness when Nuru gave an interview on national television a few years ago. 解析：该句是when引导的时间状语从句。come to national awareness“引起全国的关注”；give an interview on“接受采访”。参考译文如下：“几年前，努鲁在一个电视台接受采访后，这个实验性的社区才第一次为全国人所知。” 3. Since his childhood, Nuru was disliked by his family and neighbors not only for his support for gender equality but for his opposition to institutionalized religion. 解析：not only…but also…在句中连接两个并列的状语。参考译文如下：“从童年时候起，努鲁就因为支持男女平等、反对制度化宗教而受到了家人和邻居的排斥。” 4. Their reputation for being honest is also paying off. 解析：这里的介词for可改为of；pay off“赢利，成功”。参考译文如下：“他们诚实的名声为他们带来了生计。” 5. In a tour for visitors, the locals proudly show off the simple but clean mud-built library and the classroom, where children below 5 study before attending the district public school. 解析：这是一句复合句。主句是主谓宾结构，从句为where引导的非限制定性定语从句。show off“炫耀，渲染（某物的优点）”；mud-built“泥建的”。参考译文如下：“在接待来访者时， 这里的人们骄傲地向他们展示用泥土搭建的简陋但干净的图书馆和教室。三到五岁的孩子在 上公立学校之前可以在这里学习。” 阅读操练（任务型阅读，10空，每空1词） Title: One Man’s Model for a Just _____1_____ It was a long and hard time before a 60-year-old Ethiopian farmer, Zumra Nuru, founded a_____2_____ of equality between sexes. _____3_____ Procedure In his childhood His family and neighbors_____4_____ him not only for his support for gender equality but for his opposition to institutionalized religion. In his_____5_____ He wandered about to realize his own ideals that he didn’t believe religion other than honesty and love for fellow humans. In the 1980’s He, together with 19 fellows in the same camp,_____6_____ Awra Amba – meaning “top of the hill” in the Amhara region
At_____7_____ Men cook and women plough. Men and women work side by side The villagers have ample food and_____8_____. Children play instead of working. They_____9_____to build water and sewage systems, and pave the road. Education is very important to this community. They_____10_____ early and forced marriages.
1. Society 2. community 3. Time/Periods 4. disliked 5. twenties 6. established 7. present 8. clothing 9. plan/want/mean 10. forbid
