環(huán)球英語 — 496：Gold Rush
Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid.
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And I'm Mike Procter. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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It was the summer of 1897. A large ship landed at the port city of Seattle - on the west coast of the United States. The tired passengers walked from the ship on to dry land. Some of them carried heavy bags. The bags held thousands of dollars worth of gold! These tired travellers were going to be extremely rich!
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These people were miners. They had been searching for gold in the Yukon region of northern Canada for some years. But it was not until 1896 that the big hunt for gold started. Three miners were hunting and catching fish in the area. They were - Skookum Jim, George Cormack and Dawson Charlie. They went down to where the Yukon and Klondike rivers flowed into each other. And there, they found some huge pieces - nuggets - of gold! News of this amazing find spread quickly to other gold-mining camps. And soon, miners came there to claim their own piece of land to explore.
Voice 1
But it was not only local miners who came. The gold miners who travelled to Seattle told people about their new riches. And their words excited the people who heard them. The economic situation in the United States at that time was very difficult. So, many people hurried to make the dangerous trip north in search of wealth. The Gold Rush had begun!
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However, the Gold Rush had a negative effect on some of the native tribes in the Yukon area. These tribes were not settled in just one place. They moved around this wild land. They did this in particular seasons, to find food. They often set up camps at the mouth of the Klondike River. However, the arrival of hundreds of people searching for gold meant there was not enough space for the local tribes. So, they stopped camping there. Tribes had to find new ways to survive - or risk being forgotten. Gold had changed their lives forever!
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Today, Canada is still among the leading gold mining countries. And its companies do not just operate mines in Canada. Discoveries of rich gold fields in Central and South America have led to companies investing in some mining projects there. One of these is the Marlin mine in Guatemala, Central America.
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The green fertile hills of north-west Guatemala. This beautiful place seems a world away from Vancouver - Canada's largest west coast city. Vancouver houses the main offices of Goldcorp - one of the world's fastest growing gold mining companies. Goldcorp owns the Marlin mine in Guatemala. Gold production began in December 2005. The mine employs one thousand two hundred [1,200] local people. And the mine operates day and night to take as much gold out of the land as it can. The market price for gold can reach up to one thousand [1,000] dollars for one single ounce! An ounce of gold is just over thirty-one [31] grams. People investing in Goldcorp are making a large profit. This is a modern-day gold rush!
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But what about the people who live near the Marlin mine? What profits have they gained from the mine's presence? Tim Miller is Goldcorp's president in Central and South America. He believes that the local community enjoys many advantages because of the mine. He says:
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"We pay up to 10 to 12 million [10,000,000-12,000,000] dollars a year into the community just in wages. As well as that, we bring knowledge about a number of things: how to work at development that will last, how to develop good basic structures in society ... how to build a strong economy."
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However, many local people would argue against Tim Miller. They are convinced that the mine is having a negative effect on the land and its communities. Mario Tima is one of these people. He is Mayan. The Maya are the ancient people group that has lived on this land for centuries. For the Maya, the land is precious - it is more than just a resource. And Maya people worry that the gold mine will have lasting damage on their environment. Mister Tima explains:
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"Mayan people understand nature like this: nature is their mother - is mother earth. So what is this aim of man to destroy nature?"
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The mine's presence is also threatening community relationships. Vinicio Lopez is the leader of Copae - a church aid group. He says:
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"The situation is tense between communities... Some communities support the mine - others do not. And the sale of land has added to bad feeling in communities. The company now wants to expand and buy more land. Some people have been paid a higher price than those who first sold their land. So some people make fun and say, 'Look! I sold my land for this much! You just gave your land away!' And here in Guatemala, land is very important."
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One local community voted on the issue of the mine. They questioned its right to exist under convention one six nine [169] of international labour law. This rule states that native people have the right to decide what kind of development is best for them as it affects their lives. The result of this vote? No to the mine!
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Goldcorp does not accept the results of this vote as legal - and neither do the Guatemalan courts of law. And the mining company says that it is doing all it can to work with the community - not against it. And, it states that it will return the land to its former condition once gold mining has finished.
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But these promises seem empty to the local Mayan community. They accept that the land may be returned to its former fertile state. But the effects on relationships in the local communities will be more difficult to deal with. The Marlin gold rush could come to an end in ten years. But community, culture and tradition will have to continue long into the future. They are worth taking care of, here and now.
