在乌干达，上学费用使孩子们留在家中。
📖 逐句对照翻译
The World Bank said last year that 54 percent of adults in Africa south of the Sahara Desert ranked the issue of paying school costs higher than medical or other costs.
世界银行去年表示，撒哈拉沙漠以南非洲地区54%的成年人认为支付学费的问题比医疗或其他费用更为重要。
The aid organization said school fees were the biggest financial worry for 40 percent of people in Uganda.
该援助组织表示，在乌干达，40%的人最大的经济担忧是学费。
In that country, a top government-supported school reportedly costs $700 for a three-month term.
在那个国家，据称一所由政府支持的顶尖学校三个月学期的学费为700美元。
That is a lot of money in a country where yearly economic activity per person was $864 in 2023.
在一个2023年人均年经济活动仅为864美元的国家，这可是一大笔钱。
World Bank information shows that African countries in the area also have the highest rates of children out of school in the world.
世界银行的信息显示，该地区的非洲国家也是世界上儿童失学率最高的国家。
Parents in Uganda report unpredictable increases in the cost of attending school, or tuition, as a cause of tension.
乌干达的家长反映，上学费用或学费不可预测地上涨，是造成紧张关系的一个原因。
Some critics are calling for laws to protect parents from exploitation.
一些批评者呼吁制定法律保护父母免受剥削。
The Equal Opportunities Commission is a government agency that reports on the issues of inequality and discrimination.
平等机会委员会是一个政府机构，负责就不平等和歧视问题作出报告。
It released a report in September that called for punishment against government-supported schools that demand fees that are too high.
它在9月发布了一份报告，呼吁对那些收费过高的政府扶持学校进行处罚。
It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out of school.
报告警告称，任意提高收费可能会迫使儿童辍学。
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics says that children’s attendance in early grades is about 68 percent.
乌干达统计局表示，低年级儿童的入学率约为68%。
But the percentage falls to 22 percent for secondary school.
但这一比例在中学阶段降至22%。
The main reason given is financial difficulty.
给出的主要原因是经济困难。
Uganda has a program of secondary education for all students.
乌干达为所有学生提供中等教育项目。
It was introduced in 2007.
它于2007年被引入。
However, schools are not in good condition.
然而，学校的条件并不好。
The schools usually do not require tuition, but parents must pay for uniforms, textbooks and other costs.
学校通常不收取学费，但家长必须支付校服、课本和其他费用。
Private schools are more popular but also more costly.
私立学校更受欢迎，但费用也更高。
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Dennis Mugimba said the government is not interested in making rules about prices.
教育部发言人丹尼斯·穆吉姆巴表示，政府无意对价格制定规定。
Mugimba said setting private school fees is “purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment.”
穆吉姆巴表示，私立学校学费的设定“纯粹是行政性的，并根据商业环境进行调整”。
But he said costs linked to “capital development” should not be the responsibility of parents.
但他表示，与“资本开发”相关的费用不应由父母承担。
The number of private schools across Uganda has increased.
乌干达各地的私立学校数量有所增加。
The Associated Press (AP) reports that they are now a majority of the country’s schools.
美联社报道称，它们现在占全国学校的大多数。
But some people with ties to education say placing importance on the profitability of education as a business is worrying.
但一些与教育界有关联的人士表示，把教育作为一门生意来重视其盈利能力令人担忧。
Fagil Mandy is a former inspector of schools.
法吉尔·曼迪曾是一名学校督学。
Mandy said there should be standardized rules to make school fees predictable for everyone.
曼迪表示，应该制定标准化规则，让所有人都能预知学费。
It is normal for both private and government-supported schools to request money for many projects.
私立学校和政府资助的学校都为许多项目申请资金，这是很正常的。
These can include buying a bus or purchasing laboratory equipment.
这些可以包括购买公交车或采购实验室设备。
One student’s story
一个学生的故事
Shalom Mirembe is a student who spoke to the AP.
沙洛姆·米伦贝是一名接受美联社采访的学生。
Her mother takes care of four children.
她母亲照顾四个孩子。
Her father recently died.
她父亲最近去世了。
The school Mirembe attends near Kampala costs $300 per term.
米伦贝在坎帕拉附近就读的学校每学期学费为300美元。
But her mother sends Mirembe to school without paying.
但她妈妈没交钱就把米伦贝送到了学校。
She is depending on the mercy of officials.
她正听凭官员们的摆布。
But Joanita Seguya, a teacher at Wampewo Ntakke Secondary, said schools are taking measures to bar students from school if their parents do not pay.
但瓦姆佩沃·恩塔克中学的教师琼妮塔·塞古亚表示，学校正在采取措施，如果家长不缴费，就不允许学生来校上课。
Seguya said of the school’s 2100 students, 400 are from families that struggle to pay fees.
塞古亚说，学校有2100名学生，其中400名来自难以支付学费的家庭。
Twenty-year-old Mirembe is taking her final exams this year.
二十岁的米伦贝今年要参加期末考试。
At one point, school officials were going to bar her from school because her mother had failed to pay the fees.
有一次，学校官员打算禁止她上学，因为她母亲没有缴纳学费。
But when school administrators found out that her father had died recently, they permitted her to return.
但当学校管理人员得知她父亲最近去世后，他们允许她返回。
Some of her teachers attended the funeral.
她的一些老师参加了葬礼。
But other families are not so fortunate.
但其他家庭就没有这么幸运了。
Moses Serikomawa is jobless with seven children.
摩西·塞里科马瓦失业了，有七个孩子。
He said paying $200 in school fees each term is too much when the family lacks food sometimes.
他说，家里有时连饭都吃不上，每学期交200美元学费实在太多了。
But he added, “The children still want to go back to school.”
但他补充道：“孩子们还是想回学校。”
I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.
我是小马里奥·里特。
Rodney Muhumuza reported this story for the Associated Press.
罗德尼·穆胡穆扎为美联社报道了这则新闻。
Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English.
小马里奥·里特为VOA英语学习频道改编了此文。
