VOA健康报道2022--意大利男子的无电生活

Italian Man Lives Without Electricity

Fabrizio Cardinali, age 72, says he has no use for electricity.

For more than fifty years, he has lived entirely¹ off the public electricity network, or grid².

That makes him one of the few people in Europe unconcerned about rising energy costs this winter.

Cardinali lives in a stone house near Ancona, on Italy's eastern Adriatic coast.

By choice, he has no electricity, no gas, and no indoor plumbing³.

"I was not interested in being part of the world as it was going. So I left everything - family, university, friends, the sports team, and set off in a completely different direction," he said.

"You give something up to obtain something else that is more important," he said.

In the past, he lived alone.

Right now, he has two people who live with him, as well as animals such as a rooster, chickens and a cat. He calls the small community "The Tribe⁴ of the Harmonious⁵ Walnuts⁷."

Harmonious means having parts that are related or combined in a pleasing way. But it can also mean not experiencing disagreement or fighting.

Cardinali and his friends, who gave their names only as Agnese and Andrea, use a wood-burning stove for cooking and warmth. They read by lamps fueled with used cooking oil that is given to them by neighbors.

"I feel privileged to have the freedom to choose my freedom," said Agnese, 35, who moved in two years ago. Andrea, 46, spends the week there but goes home to Macerata, about 50 kilometers away, each weekend to look after his mother.

The "harmonious walnuts" grow fruit and vegetables, olives⁹ to produce olive⁸ oil, and keep bees for honey. A local group sells them foods such as legumes, cereals¹⁰ and wheat, which they grind¹¹ to make their own bread.

When possible, they trade goods for things they need.

Although some people have called him "the Hermit¹² of Cupramontana," Cardinali says he is not a hermit. A hermit is a person who lives in a simple way apart from others.

Instead, Cardinali believes life is best lived in small communities.

His first piece of advice for anyone who wants to follow his example is: "Throw away your so-called smart phone."

Cardinali sometimes travels short distances to visit friends. He takes olives to a stone press to make oil, and walks or gets rides to the nearest town to have a coffee with local people or visit the doctor.

"I've been living this way for about 51 years and I have never regretted it," he said. Cardinali added, "there have been difficulties, but they never made me think that I made the wrong choice ...."

Words in This Story

plumbing – n. a system of pipes that carries water through a building

walnut⁶ – n. a type of tree that produces large nuts which can be eaten; the nut of a walnut tree

privileged – adj. having special rights or advantages that most people do not have

regret –v. to feel sad or sorry for something you did or did not do

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

3 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

5 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

6 walnut   

n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色

参考例句：

• Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
• The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

7 walnuts   

胡桃（树）( walnut的名词复数 )； 胡桃木

参考例句：

• Are there walnuts in this sauce? 这沙司里面有核桃吗？
• We ate eggs and bacon, pickled walnuts and cheese. 我们吃鸡蛋，火腿，腌胡桃仁和干酪。

8 olive   

n.橄榄，橄榄树，橄榄色；adj.黄绿色的，黄褐色的，橄榄色的

参考例句：

• Have you eaten a kind of fruit called olive?你吃过橄榄这种水果吗？
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace.她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。

9 olives   

n.橄榄( olive的名词复数 )；橄榄树；橄榄色；油橄榄

参考例句：

• We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿，喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
• He sent her two pieces of olives in letter. 他在信中给她夹了两片橄榄树的叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 cereals   

n.谷类食品，谷类；麦片粥

参考例句：

• By cereals we mean wheat,oats,rye,barley,and all that.谈到谷物，我们指的是小麦、燕麦、黑麦、大麦之类的东西。
• Wheat and rice are cereals.小麦和水稻是谷类植物。

11 grind   

n.（常贬义）用功的学生，书呆子；vt.磨，磨碎

参考例句：

• Would you please grind a pound of coffee for me? 请给我磨一磅咖啡好吗？
• Do you find learning English a grind?你觉得学英语是一件苦差事吗？

12 hermit   

n.隐士，修道者；隐居

参考例句：

• He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
• Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。