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Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil. And I'm Beth. Are you a big reader, Phil?
大家好。这是BBC六分钟英语。我是菲尔。我是贝丝。菲尔，你是个爱读书的人吗？
Sure, I enjoy reading – and it's also a great way to pass the time on my daily commute to work.
当然，我喜欢读书，这也是我每天上下班路上消磨时间的好方法。
But reading isn't just a nice thing to do – it's an essential skill, something you need for everyday activities, whether that's finding out the news by reading a newspaper or buying groceries by reading the labels.
但阅读不仅仅是一件好事，它是一项基本技能，是日常活动所必需的，无论是通过阅读报纸了解新闻，还是通过阅读标签购买杂货。
And that's why I was shocked by a recent UN report estimating that around the world over 700 million adults are illiterate, which means they can't read or write.
这就是为什么我对最近的一份联合国报告感到震惊，该报告估计全世界有超过7亿成年人是文盲，这意味着他们不会读写。
Wow! That's a huge number of people excluded from doing basic day-to-day things. So, what can be done to get more adults reading and writing?
哇！有这么多人被排除在日常基本事务之外。那么，我们可以做些什么来让更多的成年人读书写字呢？
In this programme, we'll be hearing about projects in two very different countries trying to do just that. And, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.
在这个节目中，我们将了解两个截然不同的国家试图做到这一点的项目。而且，和往常一样，我们还将学习一些有用的新词汇。
But first I have a question for you, Phil. I mentioned a recent UN report on the high numbers of people unable to read and write, but illiteracy is not a new problem.
但首先我有一个问题要问你，菲尔。我提到了联合国最近关于大量人无法读写的报告，但文盲并不是一个新问题。
Since 1967, the UN has been highlighting the importance of literacy, being able to read and write, with a day of celebration called International Literacy Day. But when does it take place?
自1967年以来，联合国一直在强调识字、能够读写的重要性，并设立了国际扫盲日来庆祝。但它是什么时候？
Is it: a) the 8th of March? b) the 8th of June? or, c) the 8th of September? I think International Literacy Day is on the 8th of September.
是3月8日？6月8日？还是9月8日？我认为国际扫盲日是9月8日。
OK, Phil, we'll find out if that's correct at the end of the programme.
好的，菲尔，我们将在节目结束时揭晓正确答案。
The biggest reason people grow up illiterate is not going to school, and that's especially true for people living in the coastal towns of Bangladesh.
人们成长为文盲的最大原因是没有上学，对于居住在孟加拉国沿海城镇的人来说尤其如此。
Because these towns flood regularly, families are always on the move, making it hard for children to get an education.
由于这些城镇经常发生洪水，总是在搬家，孩子很难接受教育。
The Friendship Project teaches reading and writing to groups of Bangladeshi women and girls.
友谊项目向孟加拉国的妇女和女孩们传授阅读和写作技能。
They also teach numeracy which means the ability to do basic maths like counting and adding up.
他们还教授算术，也就是能够进行基本的数学运算，比如计数和加法。
Here one student, Rashida, explains the impact it's had on her to BBC World Service programme, People Fixing The World:
一位名叫拉希达（Rashida）的学生向BBC世界服务节目People Fixing The World详述了友谊项目对她的影响：
My parents never sent me to school and I've suffered from not being able to read and write.
我的父母从未送我去上学，我因不识字而备受折磨。
My children were embarrassed that I was illiterate. I couldn't even do basic accounting.
我的孩子们因为我不识字而感到尴尬。我甚至连基本的会计工作都不会做。
Until now, I've had to use my fingerprint as a signature as I was illiterate, but now I can sign my name because I can read and write thealphabet, and I'll also be able to keep an account of my expenses. No one can cheat me anymore.
到目前为止，由于我不识字，我不得不使用指纹作为签名，但现在我可以签名了，因为我会读写字母，而且我还可以记录我的开支。再也没有人可以欺骗我了。
Before the Friendship Project, Rashida couldn't write her signature – her name written in her own handwriting. Instead, she had to use her fingerprint.
在参加友谊项目之前，拉希达不会签名。她不得不使用指纹。
Now, Rashida has learned the alphabet and also some basic maths, so she knows how much money she's spent, and how much she has left.
现在，拉希达已经学会了字母和一些基本的数学，所以她知道自己花了多少钱，还剩下多少钱。
This means no-one can cheat her, can trick or swindle her into taking her money.
这意味着没有人可以欺骗她，或是诈骗她拿走她的钱。
The Friendship Project is free, and so far over 11,000 adults have completed it. But it's not just developing countries that struggle with literacy.
友谊项目是免费的，到目前为止，已有11000多名成年人完成了该项目。但不仅仅是发展中国家在读写方面存在困难。
Our second project takes place much closer to home – the north of England, where charity Readeasy, matches adult learners with trained volunteers for one-to-one lessons.
我们的第二个项目离我们更近，在英格兰北部，慈善机构Readeasy将成人学习者与经过培训的志愿者配对，进行一对一的课程。
In the UK, one in six adults struggle with reading and writing, including Peter. Peter had hearing problems as a child, fell behind at school, and never learned to read.
在英国，六分之一的成年人在阅读和写作方面存在困难，包括彼得。彼得小时候听力有问题，在学校落后，从未学会阅读。
Here he is, talking with BBC World Service programme, People Fixing The World:
这是他在接受BBC世界服务节目People Fixing The World采访时说的话：
Everyone takes for granted that you just open a letter and you read it. Before I met my wife, I used to have to knock on the neighbour's door: “Could you read this for me?”
每个人都理所当然地认为你只需打开一封信就可以读懂。在我遇到我妻子之前，我常常敲邻居的门：“你能帮我读一下吗？”
Can you imagine the embarrassment? I've tried college – twice. Nothing worked so as far as I'm concerned, I'm thick, I'm stupid, I'm just one of those people – it's never gonna work for me. And that was my life.
你能想象那种尴尬吗？我考过两次大学，但都没成功，就我而言，我很笨，我很蠢，我只是那些人中的一员——这对我来说永远不会成功。这就是我的生活。
Many of us take it for granted that everyone can read and write. If you take something for granted, you assume it's true without checking.
我们中的许多人都想当然地认为每个人都能读写。如果你把某件事视为理所当然，你就会不加核实地认为它是真的。
Peter had to ask his neighbours to read his letters, something he found very embarrassing. He thought he was thick – stupid and unintelligent.
彼得不得不请邻居读信，这让他感到非常尴尬。他认为自己很笨。
Now, Peter says learning with Readeasy has changed his life. He's literate and is reading his way through the Harry Potter books. And he always celebrates International Literacy Day.
现在，彼得说，通过Readeasy学习改变了他的生活。他识字，正在阅读《哈利波特》系列丛书。他总是庆祝国际扫盲日。
Which reminds me of your question, Beth – when does the UN's International Literacy Day take place? I said it was on the 8th of September.
这让我想起了你的问题，贝丝，联合国的国际扫盲日是什么时候？我说是9月8日。
And that was… the correct answer! OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme, starting with illiterate meaning unable to read and write.
这就是正确答案！好，让我们回顾一下从本期节目中学到的词汇，从illiterate开始，意思是不会读写。
Numeracy is the ability to understand basic maths, count, and add up. Your signature is your name written in your own handwriting style. It shows that something has been written or agreed by you.
Numeracy是理解基本数学、计数和加法的能力。signature是用您自己的笔迹写的名字。它表明某事已经由您书写或同意。
To cheat someone means to trick or deceive them in order to get their money or valuables.
cheat某人意味着欺骗他们以获取他们的钱财或贵重物品。
If you take something for granted, you assume that it's true without checking up. And finally, the adjective thick is an informal word for stupid.
如果你take something for granted，你就认为它是真的，而不去核实。最后，形容词“thick”是“愚蠢”的非正式说法。
Once again, our six minutes are up, but remember to join us again next time for more trending topics and useful vocabulary, here at 6 Minute English. Goodbye for now! Bye!
六分钟又到了，但下次记得再次加入我们，在六分钟英语中了解更多热门话题和有用的词汇。暂时再见了！再见！
