環(huán)球英語 — 416：The Good Samaritan Centre
Voice 1
Hello, I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby Jones. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
The winter sun shines over rich, green hills. Lines of trees stand like soldiers on the sides of these hills. A group of young men move around the trees. They spread a flat piece of cloth under each tree. Then, they hit the branches with sticks. They use a quick, upward movement. Hitting the branches makes the tree’s fruit fall off. But the method they use avoids damaging next year’s new growth. Hundreds of small, black pieces of fruit fly off the tree and fall onto the material below. The men gather up the material and pour the fruit into long green baskets. Then, they pull these heavy containers on to their shoulders. They have a difficult walk up a long hill! They will then place the fruit in a store room before returning to collect some more. Harvesting can be a long, hard process!
Voice 2
The men are collecting olives. Olives are small black or green fruit. Later, the men must store the olives in salt water for a time to prepare them for eating. Or the men may crush them to make olive oil. The oil is a very healthy product from the lands around the Mediterranean Sea.
Voice 1
These men are in the south of Spain. There are many olive fields, or groves, in this area. The grove where the men work belongs to the El Buen Samaritano Centre. The grove is one hundred fifty years old! But it is not its age that makes it special - it is its workers! The men who work here are drug addicts - they all depend on drugs in some way. But they have come to the Buen Samaritano Centre to find a fresh start in life.
Voice 2
The centre’s name means, “Good Samaritan” in English. The name comes from a story in the Christian Bible. In the story, a man from the ancient land of Samaria shows kindness to an injured Jewish man. This was surprising - the Samaritans and Jews were enemies at that time! But the story points to the importance of showing love to all people in need - whoever they are. Drugs addicts are often in great need of help. And that is why the Good Samaritan Centre started in 1993 - to help people struggling with drug problems.
Voice 1
When drugs control a person’s life, it seems impossible to break that control. But Raul Garcia would not agree with that. He is leader of the Good Samaritan Centre. He believes that the key to success is to give the men a sense of purpose in life. He says:
Voice 3
“They need to learn to love a job. They know that bringing the harvest in will buy food for them and for other people. The aim is to rescue people who are out on the streets of towns and destroyed by drugs. We want to make it clear to them that there is hope! I have seen people’s lives changed.”
Voice 2
The facts support Raul Garcia’s claim. The Good Samaritan Centre’s success rate is two times better than the Spanish average for such centres. More than seven men out of ten will never go back to taking drugs after spending time there. So, how have these changes happened?
Voice 1
Care workers at the centre treat each man as an individual. There is no one single treatment for everyone! They decide on a programme that will best fit that person’s needs. This programme will then centre on learning to live without drugs. And this is not just a physical thing. The men have to recover their personal and social health too. This involves re-learning how to be responsible - in a family situation - and as a member of society.
Voice 2
Workers at the Good Samaritan Centre also encourage the men to think about their spiritual health. They encourage the men to attend church and to study the Bible. The workers believe that these things will help the men to learn more about how God values them as people. And, it can show the men a good example of how to live as responsible, loving human beings. Juan Jose Miatinez is one of the men at the Good Samaritan Centre. He shares some of his experiences:
Voice 4
“Before, I thought I was a real man. I went to parties that lasted for two days. Then one day, my heart stopped...I had problems with my family and I tried to kill myself. I did not want to live.”
“Now I am happy that I survived...I do not want to go back to those problems. I wasted the first twenty years of my life. But now I am learning what life is all about. We make good progress here and we have a good time. My parents are proud of me now - although I had given them a lot of trouble.”
Voice 1
Luciano Cabrera is head of local government in Alcarecejos, a nearby city. He knows very well the problems that Spain has with the illegal drugs trade. He says:
Voice 5
“It is very difficult to fight this problem. The position of Spain in Europe means it is in the right place for the illegal trading of drugs.”
Voice 2
And the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction confirms this. Research shows that illegal drug traders bring cannabis and cocaine over from the Caribbean and South America. These drugs enter the rest of Europe through Spain. This may explain why drugs cost very little to buy there. And the country has the highest rate of cocaine use in Europe.
Voice 1
Luciano Cabrera knows about the problem. But he can see how centres like the Good Samaritan can help to provide a solution. He says:
Voice 5
It deserves praise. There is a moral depth to the centre. We can see people who were there, but are not anymore. It is very positive.”
Voice 2
Back in the olive grove, the men have finished work for the day. Now it is time to wash and eat. Through hard work, prayer and special treatment, these men can know a fresh start in life. It is not easy! But as the men take one last look around the quiet grove, they believe that it is worth the struggle.
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