英语音频杂志：奴隶

 　　No one shall be held in slavery or servitude. Slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all its forms.

　　Article 4; Universal Declaration of Human Rights.(The United Nations)

　　

　　What does slavery mean?

　　Slavery is the idea that a human is someone’s property, that he/she can be bought, sold and owned; and forced to work without being paid. This concept has been around for thousands of years and all major civilizations used slaves at some point. They were used in many different positions, such as; labourers, soldiers, servants, farmers. Although the word slavery makes us think of the transatlantic slave trade (from Africa to the Americas), slavery was not specific to one part of the world. The Romans, Russians, Aztecs and Egyptians all kept slaves; the word slave actually comes from ‘slav’ - many Slavic people from Eastern Europe were taken as slaves during conflicts. As well as being captured in wars, people could be born as slaves, sold into slavery, or sold to pay a debt.

　　

　　Is it right to buy and sell people?

　　In the past there were different concepts about human-rights and what was moral or immoral¹. It is only in the last 300 years that these ideas have begun to change. Most people accepted that types of people were born to be slaves; or that if you won a war you could sell your captured enemies. The Koran and the Bible both mention slavery as a fact, without criticizing it.

　　The life of a slave, although difficult, was not always the end of a person’s life. It was possible for a slave to buy his freedom, for a slave soldier to become a general, or for a freed slave to become an important member of society. The Transatlantic Slave Trade ended this possibility.

　　

　　What was the Transatlantic Slave Trade?

　　Slavery was as common in Africa as in other countries; but in the 15th Century, traders began to export large numbers of slaves to the Middle-East. European countries followed this, exporting Africans to work on plantations³ in the Caribbean, North and South America. A massive number of people were needed, as demand for new products such as sugar, coffee and tobacco was very high. In 400 years, an estimated 12 million people were removed from Africa to work as slaves in the Americas or European colonies.

　　Slaves in this system had no opportunity for advancement⁴ or release; even if they were freed they had few legal rights. In the past owning slaves in many countries had been a status symbol, and owners were usually fair. In this new system, profit was the most important aspect. As a result, conditions of work and living were also very tough. Millions died because of mistreatment and difficult working conditions. Some African slave traders, learning of these conditions, started to oppose the trade.

　　

　　When did people’s ideas begin to change?

　　A number of African countries (such as the Congo) made the trade illegal not for moral but practical reasons – its population was being reduced greatly by the trade. But it was moral reasons that forced a greater change. A movement in Britain led by the Quakers and the MP William Wilberforce pushed parliament to abolish slavery. In 1807 the slave trade was abolished and in 1833 slavery was abolished in all British colonies.

　　In the USA on the other hand, there was great argument over slavery. Many industries in the South were dependant⁵ on slaves for production (such as cotton) and if freed, the number of slaves would be almost 50% of the population in some areas. Again, religious groups were pushing for change. Unfortunately, the civil war between the North and South came before political change. Slavery was an important issue in this conflict, and was abolished (through the 13th amendment⁶ to the Constitution) at the end of the Civil war in 1865.

　　

　　What were the ideas behind abolition⁷?

　　In the 19th Century, newer political ideals of freedom and equality were anti-slavery. It is ironic⁸ that the two countries at the time associated with freedom and equality; USA and France; still permitted slavery. France didn’t abolish slavery until 1848, and there were still slaves working in the White House in the same year. The humanitarian⁹ ideal, the idea that all people are brothers, was also important. As this idea was taken from Christianity, Christians¹¹; especially those from newer branches e.g. Quakers, Methodists; were at the centre of movements all over the world. Christian¹⁰ missionaries¹² were often funded by anti-slavery groups.

　　Dr. David Livingstone was the most famous British missionary¹³ in Africa until 1873, and pushed for the end to the local slave trade. Unfortunately, he believed it could only be stopped by foreign countries taking control of African states – mass colonialism. This led to many other problems.

　　

　　Does slavery still exist?

　　Legally, Nigeria was the last country to abolish slavery in 1936. However, in many parts of the world today, millions of people are working as slaves. Children fighting in the army, or working for no pay; women moved from their own countries to work in the sex industry, or in people’s houses; people working for many years to pay back a small loan. These are all types of modern slavery. Groups such as the United Nations or Anti-Slavery International are fighting against this problem – but the world must first accept that there still is a problem.

　　

　　Glossary¹⁴

　　abolish (v): to officially end something, especially a law or system.advancement

　　capture (v): to catch someone and make them your prisoner.

　　colony (n): a country or area controlled in an official, political way by a more powerful country.

　　debt (n): an amount of money that you owe someone.

　　export (v): to send goods to another country in order to sell them there.

　　free (v): to allow someone to leave a prison or place where they have been kept.

　　immoral (adj): opposite of moral.

　　labourer (n): a worker who uses a lot of physical effort in their job.

　　missionaries (n): someone who travels to another country to teach people about the Christian religion.

　　mistreat (v): to treat a person or animal badly, cruelly or unfairly.

　　moral (adj): behaving in a way that most people think is correct and honest.

　　plantation² (n): an area of land in a hot country where a crop is grown.

　　prohibit (v): to officially forbid something.

　　push (v): make someone do something that they do not want to do.

　　Quaker (n): a member of a Christian group called the Society of Friends.

　　servitude (n): the state of being under the control of someone else and of having no freedom.

　　trader (n): a person who buys and sells things.

　　transatlantic (adj): crossing the Atlantic

1 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

2 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

3 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

4 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

5 dependant   

n.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者

参考例句：

• The dependent dependant cannot live independently.依靠别人的被赡养者不能独立生活。
• The fact that the woman is still regarded as the man's dependant.再加上女人仍被看作是男人的附属品这一事实。

6 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

7 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

8 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

12 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

14 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。