Berlin Project 'Upcycles' Refugee Boats into Bags
VOA News
July 31, 2018 8:45 PM Reuters (source)
Berlin Project 'Upcycles' Refugee Boats into Bags
柏林非營利組織「升級再造」，難民船變身流行包
July 31, 2018 8:45 PM
Reuters
BERLIN —
When Abid Ali risked his life in a rubber dinghy in 2015 as he fled Pakistan for Europe, he didn't think that three years later he would be making bags, backpacks and sneakers out of similar boats in a small workshop in Berlin.
Ali, a tailor, is working with non-profit organization Mimycri to upcycle the rubber from abandoned refugee boats found on beaches in Greece after often perilous sea crossings via Turkey.
Since Germany received more than a million migrants fleeing war and [persecution]* in the Middle East, Africa and central Asia in 2015, migration has become a major issue in Germany that is testing Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition.
By making fashion accessories out of the rubber dinghies used by refugees, Mimycri wants to create jobs for migrants and give them a chance to show Germans their talents.
In Mimycri's Berlin workshop, Ali carefully measures out a large piece of rubber on a workbench before cutting it precisely to size and skilfully using a sewing machine to craft a bag.
Working with the disused rubber boats is not strange, he says.
"Yes, sometimes I think 'yes I came with these boats,' but no it isn't too strange for me," he added.
Vera Guenther, Mimycri co-founder, and her project partner Nora Azzaoui came up with their idea in summer 2015 when they were volunteering to help refugees arriving at the Greek island of Chios.
"We want to process the plastic waste that lies on beaches in Greece into something new," Guenther said. "We want to create new job opportunities for the people who came newly here and have great talents."
Environmental groups say the plastic garbage of life vests and rubber boats left by migrants after reaching Greece in 2015 is a forgotten dimension of the refugee crisis with no comprehensive waste-management system on land.
〔* 編按：原文為 "prosecution"，「起訴」之意。若從難民潮的背景探究，「flee war and persecution」是常見的用法，由此判斷應該是拼錯字。〕
阿比德．阿里（Abid Ali）2015 年冒著生命危險，搭乘橡皮艇(rubber dinghy)從巴基斯坦（Pakistan）逃到歐洲（Europe）。當時，他完全想不到 3 年後自己會待在德國（Germany）柏林（Berlin）的工作室，把類似的橡皮艇做成袋子、背包和運動鞋。
身為裁縫師(tailor)的阿里目前和非營利組織 Mimycri 合作，將棄置(abandon)於希臘（Greece）沙灘的難民船升級再造(upcycle)。這些橡皮艇來到希臘前，通常經歷了幾段途經土耳其（Turkey），極度危險(perilous)的航海旅程(crossing)。
2015 年德國（Germany）接納了超過 100 萬民為了逃離(flee)戰亂與迫害(persecution)的難民，他們大多來自中東（Middle East）、非洲（Africa）及中亞（central Asia）。至今難民已成為德國的重大議題，考驗著德國總理梅克爾（Angela Merkel）執政的聯合政府(coalition)。
藉由將難民(refugee)使用過的橡皮艇製成流行配件(accessory)，Mimycri 希望替難民創造工作機會，讓他們有機會向德國人展現自身的專長與才能。
Mimycri 位於柏林的工作室中，阿里在工作檯(workbench)上仔細測量一大張橡皮原料，接著精確剪裁至合適的尺寸，並熟練地(skilfully)使用縫紉機，將橡皮原料精巧地製成(craft)一個包包。
阿里表示， 以廢棄的(disused)橡皮艇為原料縫製(work with . . .)流行配件一點也不奇怪。
「當然，有時候我會想：『沒錯，我就是搭這些船來的。』但這對我來說並不會太不可思議。」他補充說道。
2015 年的夏天，Mimycri 共同創辦人薇拉．岡瑟（Vera Guenther）和她的夥伴諾拉．阿薩伊（Nora Azzaoui）擔任志工，幫助從希臘希俄斯島（Chios）上岸的難民時，想到了(come up with . . .)這個升級再造的點子。
「我們希望能把希臘海灘上的塑膠廢棄物加工(process)成新的東西。」岡瑟說，「我們希望能替剛來到這裡、有才能的人創造工作機會。」
環保團體表示，2015 年難民抵達希臘後，就地棄置的救生衣(life vest)和橡皮艇所產生的塑膠垃圾是難民危機被遺忘的面向(dimension)，目前島上沒有全面的(comprehensive)廢棄物處理系統。
〔編按：難民危機全名為「歐洲移民危機（European migrant crisis）」，也稱為「歐洲難民危機」，指數量激增的難民在歐洲引起嚴重的社會及經濟危機。〕
Language Notes
dinghy [`dɪŋgɪ] (n) 小船、小艇
* 注意本字中的 "h" 不發音
upcycle [ʌp`saɪkl̩] (v) 升級再造，將廢棄物品或材料製成品質或價值較高的物品
* 另一相關詞彙 "recycle" 意為「回收再利用、循環再造」，再造之物不一定品質或價值高於原物品，時常更會 "downcycle"「降級再造」
perilous [`pɛrələs] (a) 非常危險的
crossing [`krɔsɪŋ] (n) 跨海旅程，橫度海洋的旅程
* 本字另外常見意思為「十字路口；交叉口；岔口，岔道」
flee [fli] (v)（尤指因危險或恐懼而）逃跑
persecution [͵pɝsɪ`kjuʃən] (n)（因種族、宗教、政治理念）迫害
* 注意本字易與 "prosecution"「（被）起訴；（被）檢舉；訴訟」混淆
craft [kræft] (v)（運用技巧）精巧地製作某物
* 本字也可作名詞，常見意思為「工藝，手藝；技術」
work with (v phr) 運用某種材料或物質製作某物
come up with (v phr) 想出，提出（主意或計劃）
process [`prɑsɛs] (v) 加工；處理
* 本字也可作名詞，常見意思為「過程；程序」
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
1. They left the country out of fear of political persecution.
2. This was my third transatlantic crossing.
3. He works with oils and acrylics, painting mostly landscapes.
4. These bracelets were crafted by Native Americans.
5. 28,000 applications for travel visas have still to be processed.
編譯：汪冠岐
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