委内瑞拉曾经是拉丁美洲最富有的国家之一。
Today, images of poor Venezuelans eating from food waste in Caracas are evidence of the country's deepening economic crisis.
如今，居住在加拉加斯的委内瑞拉穷人食用食余残渣的照片成为了该国经济危机不断恶化的明证。
Young men and boys often search the dirty waters of the Guaire River for small pieces of metal that might help feed their families.
青壮年男子常常在Guaire河污浊的水里寻找可能有助于养活家人的小块金属。
One of those young men is 26-year-old Angel Villanueva. He searches the dirty, brown water for lost rings or other objects he may be able to trade for money.
26岁的Angel Villanueva就是其中之一。他在污浊的、棕色的水里寻找他人遗失的戒指或者其它可能用来换钱的物品。
"Working in the Guaire isn't easy," he told the Associated Press. "When it provides, it provides. When it takes, it takes your life."
他对美联社表示：“在Guaire河中谋生可不容易。它可能会给你提供一些可以换钱的东西，也可能会夺走你的生命。”
The waters of the Guaire are known for being filthy. The river acts as a drain. It carries away rainwater from the streets and sewers, as well as industrial waste.
Guaire河水以肮脏而闻名。这条河被当作排水渠，它带走了街道和下水道的雨水，也带走了工业废水。
Alejandro Velasco is a native of Caracas and teaches Latin American history at New York University. He says ,"As long as I can remember, the Guaire was this open sewage. It certainly seems to reflect the depth and extent of the desperation that this particular crisis has spawned."
Alejandro Velasco是加拉加斯本地人，现在在纽约大学教授拉美历史。他说：“从我记事起，Guaire河就是这种敞开的下水道。它似乎反映了这场特定危机引发的绝望的深度和广度。”
Venezuelans have lived under socialist rule for nearly 20 years. During that period, food and oil production have dropped sharply. Poor organization of state resources and a drop in world oil prices have made many Venezuelans desperate.
委内瑞拉人在社会主义统治下生活了近20年。在此期间，食品和石油生产大幅下降。国家资源组织不善以及世界石油价格下跌使许多委内瑞拉人感到绝望。
Each morning, people go to the Guaire River from nearby neighborhoods to search for treasure. Some cover their fingertips in tape to protect from cuts and infections. They largely ignore any possible long-term health effects from standing in dirty water for hours each day.
每天早上，附近社区的人们都去Guaire河寻宝。有些人用胶布包好指尖防止被割伤和感染。他们大多忽略了每天几个小时站在污水中可能产生的长期健康影响。
Calls to clean up the river and the large amount of money already spent have had no result.
清理这条河流的呼吁以及已经投入的大量资金没有产生结果。
In 2005, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recognized the river's filthy condition and promised a full cleanup.
2005年，委内瑞拉总统查韦斯认识到这条河的肮脏状况，并承诺进行全面清理。
Seven years later, the Inter-American Development Bank provided a $300 million loan to build wastewater centers and treat waste that goes into the river.
7年后，美洲开发银行提供了3亿美元贷款建造污水处理中心，并处理进入河流的废水。
Nearly six years later, the water remains filthy. Bank officials refused to comment on the project. Venezuelan government leaders have also been silent on when the Guaire might be cleaned.
近六年之后，河水仍然是肮脏的。银行官员拒绝对该项目发表评论。委内瑞拉政府领导人也一直对Guaire河何时治理好保持沉默。
Some parts of the river smell of sewage. Other parts produce a toxic, harmful smell.
这条河流的部分河段散发着污水的臭味，其它河段会产生有毒有害的气体。
Most days, the treasure hunters go unnoticed by other people as they drive vehicles over the river on a major road.
大多数时候，寻宝者不会被开车跨过这条河流的其他人注意到。
Angel Villanueva lives with his father in one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of Caracas. The son wanted to earn money, but he could only get low-paying jobs, such as cleaning the streets. The lowest legal wage for public employees in Venezuela is less than $7 a month.
Angel Villanueva和他的父亲居住在加拉加斯最贫穷和危险的地区之一。Villanueva想挣钱，但是他只能从事低收入工作，例如打扫街道。委内瑞拉公共雇员的最低法定工资是7美元每月。
Food has become increasingly hard to find or very costly. One recent study estimated that 75 percent of Venezuelans lost an average of 8.7 kilograms last year.
食物变得越来越难找或者非常昂贵。最近一项研究估计75%的委内瑞拉人去年平均瘦了8.7公斤。
Angel Villanueva first started searching in the river six months ago. His first day's work resulted in finding $20 worth of materials. People back in his neighborhood often tell him to keep away because he smells like the Guaire.
Villanueva六个月前开始在河里寻宝。他第一天就找到了价值20美元的材料。他的邻居经常让他离远点，因为他身上散发着Guaire河的气味。
Villanueva dreams of leaving Venezuela to find a better job. But for now he is taking his chances searching for treasure in the river.
Villanueva梦想离开委内瑞拉寻找更好的工作，但是现在他开始接受在河里寻宝的命运。
I'm Jonathan Evans.
我是乔纳森·埃文斯。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)