环球英语 — 144：Undocumented Workers

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Ruby² Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight³. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“Come with us”
Voice 4
“I have paid the money. Why do I have to go with you?”
Voice 3
“Come.”
Voice 1
These words are from a new film called ‘Ghosts’. It is from the director Nick Broomfield. Broomfield is famous for his films about true events. ‘Ghosts’ is one of his most powerful stories. Ghosts are the spirits of dead people - no one can see them. In this film, Broomfield tells the story of the people no one wants to see - undocumented workers. These workers live and work without legal papers. It is like they do not exist. They are like ghosts. They have few rights. They live difficult lives in order to survive. Broomfield’s film is about the undocumented workers in Morecambe Bay, England. They became famous because of one tragic⁴ night in February 2004.
Voice 2
Today we look at the tragic events of Morecambe Bay. It was here that a group of Chinese workers lost their lives. But first, what were they doing in England? And how did they get there?
Voice 1
The Morecambe Bay story began months before in the country of China. Many of the workers were farmers. They were struggling because of economic difficulties. So they decided⁵ to leave for a better future. They believed that in a different country they could make money to help their families back home. So they went to snakeheads for help.
Voice 2
A snakehead is the term for a human smuggler⁷ in China. Snakeheads take people to other countries illegally. They smuggle⁶ people into countries like England. However, usually people do not know how difficult the trip will be. Snakeheads treat people badly. They transport them in dangerous ways. Sometimes they put people into the back of trucks. The trip can last for days or weeks. Snakeheads do not care if people have enough food, heat or even oxygen. Many people have died on such trips. Yet people pay a lot of money for this travel. It can cost as much as forty thousand dollars. Most people must borrow the money to pay for the trip. The workers at Morecambe Bay borrowed a lot of money to go to England. But when they arrived, life was not as they imagined.
Voice 2
The new arrivals did not know the ways of the new country - England. Everything was so different - the language, the people, the environment. And they did not have legal papers to work in England. So they found work with criminal gangmasters. The gangmasters provided⁸ false work documents. They also provided housing⁹. Many people had to share the same house. They lived in terrible conditions. And they had to pay the gangmasters for the housing. So, much of the money they earned was for their debts. They had to pay the snakeheads for their travel debt, and the gangmasters for the housing costs.
Voice 1
Gangmasters make people work many hours and for low pay. This work is often in factories or farms. Or even in the sex trade. Gangmasters took the Chinese workers to Morecambe Bay by the sea. Here they collected shellfish from the sand. This involved digging up these small sea creatures. Workers had to bend over for hours to collect the shellfish. One of these workers was Guo Bing Long. He was twenty-eight years old. The work was very hard. But he thought of his family back home. So he continued to work. Usually shellfish collectors start work early. This is when the water current or tide goes out. The water flows away from the land. And people can walk on the sand. It is the best time to find the shellfish. And shellfish collectors stop working before the tide comes in. If they do not leave in time, there is a danger of drowning. The water can rise very quickly. But Guo Bing Long and his group worked late. Their gangmaster, Lin Lang Ren, made them work dangerous hours.
Voice 1
On the fifth of February 2004 a tragic event happened. Guo Bing Long was digging for shellfish. It was late at night. Suddenly the water started to come in. It happened very quickly. Guo was afraid. He was trapped by the water current. He needed help. But he did not know who to call. He used his mobile¹⁰ telephone to call his wife in China. He said:
Voice 5
“I am in great danger. I am up to my chest in water. Maybe I am going to die. Tell the family to pray for me. The water is too close. I am dying¹¹.”
Voice 1
Guo Bing Long drowned in the water and moving sands. Twenty-one [21] other people drowned too. And two other people are still missing¹². No-one found their bodies.
Voice 2
Guo Bing Long’s family was left in a terrible position. They owed money to the snakeheads for Guo Bing Long’s transport to England. This was true for many of the Morecambe Bay workers’ families. Mr. Lin Guo Guang also died owing¹³ money. He did not leave any money for his family. He could not. The gangmasters had not paid him for weeks. When he died they owed him two thousand [2000] dollars. Before he died he wrote to his wife:
Voice 6
“This is hell¹ on earth. We are treated like animals here.”
Voice 2
He told his sons:
Voice 6
“You must study well at school and do well, and never end up working here like me!”
Voice 1
The gangmasters were not the only people to blame for the tragic event at Morecambe Bay. Some western employers¹⁴ were to blame too. They wanted low-priced labour. They did not question how the workers were treated. They closed their eyes to the problems.
Voice 2
The events at Morecambe Bay shocked the world. Some people in the British government tried to make the situation better for workers in the future. They passed a law in 2004 called The Gangmasters Licensing¹⁵ Act. This law was supposed to protect workers. But some people believe it is a weak law. They say the government must improve the laws more. If not the tragic events at Morecambe Bay could happen again.
Voice 2
Nick Broomfield hopes his film ‘Ghosts’ will improve the situation. He hopes it will make British citizens want to help. They can try to get better laws passed to protect undocumented workers. They can also give money to help the victims’ families. There is even a website called the Morecambe Victims Fund¹⁶. It helps the families pay their debts. This will not bring back the Morecambe Bay victims. But their dream can come true. Their families will have the chance for a better future.
 

1 hell   

n.地狱，阴间；用以咒骂或表示愤怒，不满

参考例句：

• It's a hell of a hike from Sydney to Perth.从悉尼到珀斯的徒步旅行简直苦死了。
• The boss really gave me hell today.老板今天着实数落了我一通。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

7 smuggler   

n.走私者

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight, awaiting extradition to Britain. 这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• The smuggler was finally obliged to inform against his boss. 那个走私犯最后不得不告发他的首领。

8 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

9 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

10 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

11 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

12 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

13 owing   

adj.应付的，未付的

参考例句：

• He paid what was owing.他付清了所有应付的钱。
• We have several hundred pounds owing on our car.我们的车还欠几百英镑未付清。

14 employers   

雇主( employer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• The onus is on employers to follow health and safety laws. 雇主有义务遵行健康安全法。

15 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

16 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。