英语听力精选进阶版 13740

Acid attacks

Summary

23 April 2012

Campaigners in Pakistan say cases of acid attacks are increasing in most areas, even though tougher penalties were introduced last year. It is estimated that more than 150 women have acid thrown on them every year and many never get justice.

Reporter:

Orla Guerin

Report

She has been scarred for life with burns on fifteen per cent of her body. Her name is Shama, meaning candle. And like many other Pakistani women her husband doused¹ her in acid. She was too proud of her beauty he said.

Shama:

"I feel pain at what I was and what I've become. All the colours have gone from my life I feel like I am a living corpse². I can't say anything about the future. I will try to get back to how I was. I have to work to build a future for my kids. If I can't I'll do what one or two other girls have done. They killed themselves."

In this hospital alone there are one or two new cases of acid attacks every week. The laws here have been tightened³. Offenders⁴ can be sentenced to between 14 years and life imprisonment⁵. But campaigners say most of these women never get justice.

This former MP who sponsored the new law says most attackers still get off scot-free.

Marvi Memon, MP:

"It's the easiest way to punish a woman because if the woman does not want to agree to what the man wants to do then you can just throw acid and destroy her entire life in one second and that's all it takes. And then even if he gets caught he'll pay the police off and he'll get away with it in most of Pakistan."

The government admits it needs to do more and says implementing⁶ the new law is a major challenge. Doctors told us many victims are forced to return to their tormentors, to the husbands or in-laws who disfigured them because of social pressure or money problems.

1 doused   

v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火]

参考例句：

• The car was doused in petrol and set alight. 这辆汽车被浇上汽油点燃了。
• He doused the lamp,and we made our way back to the house. 他把灯熄掉，我们就回到屋子里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 corpse   

n.尸体，死尸

参考例句：

• What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
• The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。

3 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

4 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

5 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

6 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句