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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Speak Shenzhen -> 
Sierra Leone: the freedom to explore
    2018-10-22  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

James Baquet

With a name like “Sierra Leone,” you might be surprised to learn that this west African country has English as its sole official language. It is easier to understand when you learn that it was a British colony for over a century and a half, from 1808, when the Sierra Leone Company — established to settle freed slaves from North America — turned over its charter to the British Crown, until independence in 1961. It is still a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The country — with Guinea to its north and northeast, Liberia to its southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean on its western side — was colonized first by the Portuguese, who named it “Serra da Leoa,” then by the Spanish, who used the form “Sierra Leona.” Both mean “Lioness Mountains,” a refence to hills resembling that animal surrounding the harbor at what is now Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital and largest city. Freetown, like the nearby nation of Liberia, is named after the freed slaves who returned there. The current name, “Sierra Leone,” is a slight corruption of the Spanish form.

As mentioned, English is the official language. It is used in schools and in government, but an English-based creole (called “Krio”) is the most widely-spoken language, used by some 97 percent and uniting the trade and social interactions of the 16 or so different ethnic groups that make up the population.

The two largest such groups are the Temne, found mainly in the country’s northwest, and the Mende in the southeast. The Krio people, who comprise only 2 percent of the population, are the descendants of the returned former slaves, and live mainly in and around the capital. They are the ones who developed the Krio language so widely spoken throughout Sierra Leone.

Over 78 percent of Sierra Leoneans are Muslim; Christians constitute 21 percent. Sierra Leone is considered to be one of the world’s most religiously tolerant countries, where the religions collaborate and interact peacefully. Religious violence is very rare, and major holidays of both religions are observed as official public holidays. The people regularly vote for candidates without regard to religious affiliation.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. association, connection

2. founding document and permission to operate

3. work together

4. alteration, adulteration

5. actions between people

6. recognized, practiced

7. concern for

8. looking like

9. accepting

10. small, minor

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