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Putting Homelessness on the Front Page 《大志杂志》：阅读自立，出版爱心

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Walk through the streets of almost any major city, and you’re bound to come across them, perhaps sitting forlornly on the sidewalk or huddled up on a park bench. Homeless people can be a depressing sight, especially when they are forced to resort to begging as a means to survive. However, thanks to a magazine called The Big Issue, thousands of homeless people around the world have a chance to earn a legitimate income and hopefully escape life on the streets.

走在任一个大城市的街头，你势必会碰见他们。他们或许孤独可怜地坐在人行道上，或蜷缩在公园长椅上。无家可归的人们是个令人感到沮丧的景象，尤其若他们是被迫诉诸于以乞讨为生的话。不过幸亏一本名为《大志杂志》的刊物，使得世界各地数以千计的游民因而获得一个机会以赚取正当收入，并有望摆脱露宿街头生活。

The Big Issue was launched in the UK in 1991, with the aim of giving homeless people “a hand up, not a hand out.” All of the street vendors for the magazine are homeless or “vulnerably housed” people, who must follow a code of conduct governing where they can sell the publication and how they should behave. To get them started, vendors are given five magazines for free. When they have sold those, they can cheaply purchase further copies to sell for a profit.

《大志杂志》于1991年在英国首度上市，目标是要给街友一双「拉他们一把的手，而不是救济施予的手」。杂志所有的街头贩卖者都是无家可归或受短期安置的人，他们必须遵循一套行为准则，规范其可贩卖刊物之地以及该如何表现。要帮助他们起步，街头贩卖者能获得5本免费杂志。当他们将杂志全数卖出后，可以用低价再购入杂志来销售赚取利润。

In addition to the magazine itself, the Big Issue Foundation is a registered charity that supports vendors in their efforts to rebuild their lives. Those involved recognize that getting off and staying off the streets requires much more than cash in your pocket. The key is to address the issues that led to the individual’s homelessness in the first place.

除了杂志本身，大志杂志有限公司是个已登记的慈善机构，他们帮助街头贩卖者努力重建自己的生活。所有参与者都意识到，要远离街头并不再重返所需的不只是口袋里有钱而已。关键在于设法解决最初导致一个人无家可归的问题。

After relatively humble beginnings, The Big Issue is now a global enterprise. The magazine is published in nine countries, with Taiwan becoming the latest recruit to the cause this April. Let’s hope that, like so many other places in the world, homeless people in Taiwan can benefit in a big way from this development.

在不怎么起眼的草创时期过后，《大志杂志》现在已是个全球企业。这本杂志目前在9个国家发行，台湾也在今年4月成为此事业的新成员。让我们期许台湾的游民也可以如同世界其他许多地方一般，从这样的发展中受益。

−by David Vickers

Vocabulary

单词发音

come across 偶然碰见  to happen to find someone or something

resort [rɪˋzɔrt] v. 诉诸，求助[（+to）]

legitimate [lɪˋdʒɪtəmɪt] adj. 合法的；正当的

launch [lɔntʃ] v. 开办；发起

with the aim of 以…为目的

vendor [ˋvɛndɚ] n. 小贩；叫卖者

publication [͵pʌblɪˋkeʃən] n. 出版物；刊物

profit [ˋprɑfɪt] n. 利润，盈利

foundation [faʊnˋdeʃən] n. 基金会

registered [ˋrɛdʒɪstɚd] adj. 注册的；登记过的

charity [ˋtʃærətɪ] n. 慈善团体，慈善事业

enterprise [ˋɛntɚ͵praɪz] n. 企业，公司

recruit [rɪˋkrut] n. 新成员

More Information

单词发音

bound to do something  必定 certain to do something; destined to do something

forlornly [fɚˋlɔrnlɪ] adv. 可怜地；孤苦伶仃地

sidewalk [ˋsaɪd͵wɔk] n. 人行道

huddle up 蜷缩, 缩成一团 to draw or hunch (oneself), as through cold

means [minz] n. 手段，方法

a hand up  拉人一把; 使其自立 to help to get up

a hand out 施舍 to distribute freely; disseminate

vulnerably housed people 受短期安置的人 people who do not have permanent housing

code of conduct 行为准则

get off 离开 to leave; to depart

stay off 远离（某地）to keep off of something

in the first place 起初; 从一开始 in the beginning

cause [kɔz] n. 理想，事业

in a big way 大规模地 to a great extent, conspicuously

Reading Questions

1. According to the article, why was The Big Issue set up?

A. To educate people about homelessness.

B. To raise money for building homes.

C. To help those without a proper home.

D. To sell magazines to homeless people.

2. What is NOT true about The Big Issue?

A. It was first published in the UK.

B. It is sold in bookstores around the world.

C. It is sold in nine different countries.

D. It is mainly sold by homeless people.

3. Which of the following would be another suitable title for this article?

A. Homelessness: A Global Problem

B. The Issue of Life on the Streets

C. A New Development for Social Change

D. A Helping hand For the Homeless

The Big Issue and 'The Truth About Stanley'

Answer