决jué定dìng

我wǒ的de村cūn庄zhuāng面miàn临lín很hěn多duō问wèn题tí。村cūn里lǐ只zhǐ有yǒu一yī个gè水shuǐ龙lóng头tóu，我wǒ们men每měi天tiān都dōu要yào排pái很hěn长cháng的de队duì伍wǔ去qù接jiē水shuǐ。

My village had many problems. We made a long line to fetch water from one tap.

我wǒ们men等děng着zhe别bié人ren接jiē济jì食shí物wù给gěi我wǒ们men吃chī。

We waited for food donated by others.

每měi天tiān晚wǎn上shang，我wǒ们men因yīn为wèi害hài怕pà有yǒu小xiǎo偷tōu，所suǒ以yǐ都dōu早zǎo早zǎo地de锁suǒ上shàng了le门mén。

We locked our houses early because of thieves.

中zhōng途tú辍chuò学xué的de孩hái子zi也yě不bù少shǎo。

Many children dropped out of school.

年nián轻qīng的de女nǚ孩hái被bèi迫pò到dào别bié的de村cūn庄zhuāng去qù做zuò女nǚ佣yōng。

Young girls were forced to work as maids in other villages.

年nián轻qīng的de男nán孩hái不bù是shì成chéng天tiān在zài村cūn子zi里lǐ游yóu荡dàng，就jiù是shì到dào别bié人ren的de农nóng场chǎng里lǐ打dǎ工gōng。

Young boys roamed around the village while others worked on people’s farms.

起qǐ风fēng的de时shí候hou，废fèi纸zhǐ到dào处chù乱luàn飞fēi，挂guà在zài树shù梢shāo和hé篱lí笆ba上shàng。

When the wind blew, waste paper flew everywhere and hung on trees and fences.

碎suì玻bō璃li扔rēng得de到dào处chù都dōu是shì，很hěn多duō人rén都dōu被bèi碎suì玻bō璃li划huá伤shāng了le。

People were cut by broken glass that was thrown carelessly.

终zhōng于yú有yǒu一yī天tiān，水shuǐ龙lóng头tóu干gān涸hé了le，人rén们men接jiē不bù到dào水shuǐ了le。

Then one day, the tap dried up and our containers were empty.

我wǒ的de爸bà爸ba一yī家jiā一yī家jiā地de劝quàn说shuō，召zhào集jí村cūn里lǐ的de居jū民mín们men开kāi会huì。

My father walked from house to house asking people to attend a village meeting.

人rén们men聚jù到dào一yī棵kē大dà树shù下xià，准zhǔn备bèi开kāi会huì。

People gathered under a big tree for the meeting.

我wǒ爸bà爸ba站zhàn起qǐ来lai，说shuō：“我wǒ们men必bì须xū团tuán结jié起qǐ来lai，一yī起qǐ解jiě决jué我wǒ们men的de问wèn题tí。”

My father stood up and said, “We need to work together to solve our problems.”

八bā岁suì的de珠Zhū玛mǎ坐zuò在zài树shù干gàn上shàng，大dà声shēng说shuō：“我wǒ可kě以yǐ帮bāng忙máng清qīng理lǐ村cūn庄zhuāng。”

Eight-year-old Juma, sitting on a tree trunk shouted, “I can help with cleaning up.”

一yī个gè女nǚ人rén站zhàn起qǐ来lai说shuō：“我wǒ可kě以yǐ找zhǎo一yī些xiē妇fù女nǚ，一yī起qǐ种zhòng庄zhuāng稼jia。”

One woman stood up and said, “The women can join me to grow food.”

又yòu有yǒu一yī个gè男nán人rén站zhàn起qǐ来lai说shuō：“男nán人rén们men可kě以yǐ帮bāng着zhe打dǎ井jǐng。”

Another man stood up and said, “The men will dig a well.”

我wǒ们men异yì口kǒu同tóng声shēng地de说shuō：“我wǒ们men必bì须xū改gǎi变biàn我wǒ们men的de生shēng活huó。”从cóng那nà天tiān开kāi始shǐ，大dà伙huǒ儿r都dōu齐qí心xīn协xié力lì，解jiě决jué问wèn题tí。

We all shouted with one voice, “We must change our lives.” From that day we worked together to solve our problems.