WORDS-AND-THEIR-STORIES.doc

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - Proverbs: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Today we talk about proverbs. A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Proverbs are found in most cultures and are often very old.
In American history, Benjamin Franklin was famous for his proverbs. Franklin lived in the seventeen hundreds. He was a leader of the American Revolution against English rule. He was also a scientist, inventor and writer.
For many years, Franklin published a book called "Poor Richard's Almanac." He included many proverbs that he had heard or created. Some of them are still used today. Like this one: "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
Franklin is also remembered for other proverbs like, "A penny saved is a penny earned." This means that money should not be wasted.
Here are other examples of proverbs that Americans use. The first ones are about love. Some people say, "All is fair in love and war." They mean that anything you do in a relationship or in battle is acceptable.
Another proverb about love is, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." This means you love someone even more when he or she is far away. But other people say, "Out of sight, out of mind." You may not even think about that person when he or she is not with you. Which of these proverbs do you think is most true?
Another proverb says "Love is blind." In other words, when you are in love with someone, you may refuse to see anything bad about that person.
Here is another popular saying about love: "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Some people believe that a woman can win a man's love if she prepares his favorite foods.
Some people are only interested in having a relationship with someone who is very good-looking. You might tell them that "Beauty is only skin deep." Your girlfriend may be lovely to look at, but she may also have some bad qualities. Or the opposite may be true. Your boyfriend is a wonderful person, but not good-looking. So what a person looks like is not really important.
Another proverb is true in love and war or other situations: "Actions speak louder than words." It means that what you do is more important than what you say.
Sadly, we have no more time for this program. So we must say, "All good things must come to an end."

Agreement to Resume Iran Nuclear Talks Aims to Prevent Regional Arms Race
U.S officials say an agreement to resume international talks on Iran's nuclear program is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and head-off what might then become a regional arms race.
The agreement to restart talks over Iran's nuclear program includes demands by permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany for "concrete and practical steps" to restore international trust in Tehran's claims that its atomic ambitions are purely peaceful.
That means better access for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.  The IAEA says there are "strong indicators" that Iran is trying to develop an atomic bomb.
President Obama says the international community will not allow that to happen.
"My policy is not containment. My policy is to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon, because if they get a nuclear weapon that could trigger an arms race in the region, it would undermine our nonproliferation goals, it could potentially fall into the hands of terrorists," Obama said.
The U.S. is working with European and Asian allies to tighten sanctions against Iranian oil exports because they believe President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is using those profits to fund his nuclear program.
Johns Hopkins University professor Ruth Wedgwood says the U.S. is moving to pre-empt a regional nuclear arms race.
"Unpredictable as Ahmadinejad is, and thuggish as he is and inevitable as it would be that Iraq would then want a bomb as well, but Turkey would want one and Egypt would want one and Saudi would want one. So you would have a poly-player game in the Middle East. And why not Syria?," Wedgewood said.
Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence and refuses to rule out military action to prevent Tehran from developing an atomic weapon.
President Obama says Israel has to make its own decisions about security, but those decisions affect everyone involved.
"This is not just an issue of Israeli interest, this is an issue of U.S. interest. It's also not just an issue of consequences for Israel if action is taken prematurely, there are consequences for the United States as well," Obama said.
President Obama says there is still time to resolve the nuclear stand off peacefully. But Professor Wedgwood says Iran's offer to resume talks is clearly influenced by increasing talk of war.
"Ahmadinejad, I suppose, can also read the gathering mood of provoked hostility from the U.S. He has to worry where our tipping point is. I think even we don't know that frankly.  American politics is often quite volatile," Wedgewood said.
President Obama says American politicians who are "beating the drums of war" have a responsibility to explain the costs and benefit of military action.

Hillary Clinton's Video Message for Voice of America 70th Anniversary
For seventy years, the Voice of America has been a trusted source of news and information for millions of people around the world. Since its birth, VOA has consistently adapted to our rapidly changing world, growing from a radio broadcast service into a vibrant multimedia network that employs every medium there is – from television to Twitter.
70年来，美国之音一直是世界各地千百万人可靠的新闻和信息来源。美国之音从诞生以来不断地适应快速变化的世界，从一个广播电台发展成为一个充满活力的多媒体网络，涵盖了电视、推特等各种媒体。
Still, it remains as true to its mission today as it was at the beginning in 1942. In parts of the world where the voice of freedom is muted or muffled, you have stood at the frontlines of the struggle for a free media. And, at times, some of you have even risked your lives and others have even sacrificed theirs. Earlier this year, we lost a Pakistani correspondent who, despite multiple threats on his life, dedicated himself to giving his audience fair and accurate reports from his corner of the world. Today we pay tribute to Mukarram Khan Aatif and to other members of the VOA family whom we have lost, regrettably and tragically, over the years.
更为重要的是，美国之音至今依然保持着1942年成立时的使命。在世界上那些自由声音受到压制的地方，美国之音的记者站在最前线，为争取媒体自由而奋战。在有些时候，你们中的一些人会冒有生命的危险，还有的人甚至牺牲了自己的生命。今年早些时候，我们就失去了一位驻巴基斯坦的记者。他虽然数次收到过生命的威胁，但还是把自己奉献给他的听众，从他所在的那个世界角落发出公正而准确的报道。今天我们要向这位记者穆卡拉姆.汗.阿提夫以及我们在过去的岁月里失去的美国之音大家庭的其他成员表达敬意。他们的牺牲令人惋惜和悲痛。
We are proud of you and grateful for your work. Time and time again, you defy governments that seek to stifle your signal piercing through Iron Curtains and electronic ones as well, for the sake of illuminating the enduring strength of freedom of democratic values.
我们为你们感到骄傲，对你们的工作表示感谢。你们一次又一次地顶住企图扼杀你们的政府，让你们的讯号穿透铁幕以及那些电子屏幕，从而展示出自由与民主价值的坚韧力量。
So as you mark your 70th anniversary, I congratulate all of you who have built this worldwide network into what it is today. Thank you so very much for being the Voice of America.
因此，在你们纪念70周年之际，我向你们所有的人表示祝贺，你们把这个世界网络建设到今天的规模。非常感谢你们，你们是美国的声音。
Low Voter Enthusiasm Doesn't Prevent Romney Win in Ohio
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney won the crucial battleground state of Ohio, the major prize on the so-called "Super Tuesday" of the Republican Presidential Primary campaign.  
"Tonight we are doing some counting. We are counting up the delegates for the convention, and it looks good.  And we are counting down the days to November, and that looks even better," exclaimed Romney to a cheering crowd in the state he once governed.
It was a good night for Romney.  He won the most delegates in the 10 states that held presidential nominating contests, including Ohio where his victory over former U.S. senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania did not come until past midnight.
That crowds and enthusiasm saw extraordinary vote enthusiasm at this polling station in Columbus Ohio. Voter Pat Zadnik:
"I voted for Mitt Romney because I think he's the strongest person. And I just want this to be over and so we can start concentrating on beating Obama."
Casey Welch was one of Ohio's many voters who remained undecided about the front runners until the end.
"I voted for Romney today. I think he's the best suited to get the economy back on track and help America move forward."
"At what point do you make your decision that Romney can be your candidate?"
"Just today."
Many republican voters remain uncertain. Romney is the front runner but not a dominated candidate. And some voters feel social conservatives such as Santorum and Newt Gingrich who won his home state of Georgia are too polarizing.
The economy is the key issue with voters in Ohio's countryside and cities worried about job losses and the soaring national debt. Voter Jinnie Buskirk:
"I voted for Mitt Romney and because I think he's a good businessman and I think government is a business so we need somebody there who knows what they are doing."
It's a number's game as candidates try to secure the 1144 delegates needed to win the nomination. Santorum essentially split the vote in Ohio, despite being heavily outspent by Romney's campaign.
"Tonight, it's clear. It's clear. We've won races all over this country against the odds, when they thought "Oh OK, he's finally finished". We keep coming back."
That is good news to voters like Jack Auer.
"They all carry baggage, for crying out loud, but Santorum. I think he remains fairly constant in this position. So, his social things, that's important. Of course the economy is the main things as far as I am concerned. "
And there are some life-long republicans who planned to vote for Democratic President Barack Obama. Voter John Payne:
"I think the republic party has been taken over by right wing conservatives, out of touch with the things that Americans actually need."
It is a sentiment that carries weight in a state that has sometimes gone republican and sometimes democratic in past general elections.

President Barack Obama's Video Message for Voice of America 70th Anniversary
Hello everybody. And to all of you at Voice of America, congratulations on 70 years of extraordinary service. From that very first broadcast during World War II—and ever since—the Voice of America has been the voice of freedom. Long before we even talked about the power of "public diplomacy," you made it your mission to help America communicate with the world—to show the true character of our country, and the ideals and liberties for which we stand.
大家好，我向美国之音全体人员祝贺70年的卓越服务。美国之音从第二次世界大战期间首次开播以来，就一直是自由之音。还在我们开始谈论“公共外交”的力量之前，你们早已把帮助美国与世界沟通当作你们的使命，展现我们国家的真实特色和我们所支持的理念和自由。
In the face of foreign governments that censor, you provide news that's accurate and objective. In the face of regimes that deny universal rights, you stand for freedom and democracy. At times, your work comes with great risk, and today we remember those from the VOA family who have given their lives to this mission. Indeed, others may try to jam your signal or silence your voice, but there's no stopping our message. Whether it's been families trapped behind an Iron Curtain, or students trying to log on behind an electronic curtain, dissidents harassed by secret police, or young people marching for the dignity and opportunity they deserve, you are the voice that reminds them—you are not alone, and there is a place called America that stands with you.
面对外国政府的内容审查，你们报道准确而客观的新闻。面对否认普世人权的政权，你们为自由与民主挺身而出。有时，你们的工作伴随着巨大风险，今天，我们缅怀那些为了这项使命而献出生命的美国之音大家庭的成员。是的，有人可能企图干扰你们的信号或封杀你们的声音，但是，我们的讯号不会中断。不管是困在铁幕后的家庭，还是在电子幕之后试图上网的学生，不管是被秘密警察骚扰的异议人士，还是为了他们应有的尊严与机会而上街游行的年轻人，你们的声音提醒他们：你们并不孤独，有一个叫做美国的地方和你们站在一起。
Recently, the world lost one of these champions of democracy. And two decades ago, on his first trip to America as president, one of the first stops that Vaclav Havel made was to the headquarters of the Voice of America. He had inspired his countrymen, and the world, with his call for people to confront the lies of dictatorship by "living within the truth," and he credited you—the Voice of America—for helping to sustain him, and so many others, with the truth you told every day.
最近，世界又失去了一位民主的倡导者。20年前，瓦茨拉夫·哈维尔以总统身份对美国进行首次访问的时候，美国之音总部是他首选的访问地之一。哈维尔曾经呼吁人们“生活在真实当中”，对抗专制的谎言，他的呼唤激励了他本国的同胞和全世界。哈维尔称赞你们美国之音每天报道的真相帮助了他和其他许多人得以坚持下来。
Our nation is stronger, and our world is more just, because of your tireless efforts. So on behalf of the American people—and the millions around the world who draw hope and strength from your work—thank you all for being the proud and steady Voice of America.

由于你们不懈的努力，我们的国家变得更为强大，我们的世界也变得更为公正。因此，我代表美国人民，还有世界各地那些从你们的工作中汲取希望和力量的千百万民众，感谢你们所有的人，你们是美国自豪而坚定的声音。
Somali Refugees Face Insecurity Inside Dadaab Refugee Camp
The Dadaab refugee camp has been home to refugees fleeing conflict and famine in Somalia for more than 20 years. But a recent string of attacks in the area has left many feeling just as insecure as in the home they left. Our reporter visited the camp in Kenya.
Inside Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp, 20-year-old Basharah speaks of violence in Somalia. She fled five months ago to create a better home for her child. Now, she worries Dadaab is not the change she was looking for.
"Because of security now, there is no difference between here and Somalia," she said.
The camp is not just an increasingly insecure place for refugees to live. Just 90 kilometers from the Somalia border, militants and criminals have also made Dadaab home.
Camp resident Ablah Ibrahim says this makes a bad situation worse.
"There are people who come with guns at night," she said. "They come and steal our food."
Both Basharah and Ablah live in a section of the camp where two Spanish aid workers were kidnapped in October of last year. They worked for Doctors Without Borders and they are still missing.
Vittorio Opizzi is a field coordinator for the organization and has been working under the new security conditions for the past five months.
"The security situation poses us in a dilemma, [eh] of course having the necessity to adapt our way of working without exposing our team to unnecessary risk, but on the other side to keep our services going," said Opizzi.
They have continued to work in the hospital and other parts of the camp. But, in this section, they have left and so have some of the refugees - including Amina Abdi Ali.
"Some people have left the insecurity here. They've gone back to Somalia," she said.
The camp leader, Ali Noor Hassan, has also become frustrated with the lack of police protection in his section.
"This camp is large, and we only have one police post here, and it's very far from here," he said. "We just wish for them to bring law and order."
Despite the threats Kenya faces from elements inside