VOA慢速英语2015 国际社会呼吁保护尼泊尔女童和妇女受人贩子侵犯

AS IT IS 2015-05-13 Calls to Protect Nepalese Girls, Women from Human Traffickers 国际社会呼吁保护尼泊尔女童和妇女受人贩子侵犯

International organizations and non-governmental groups are worried about the safety of girls and women in Nepal. A powerful earthquake on April 25 and other strong quakes since then have left widespread damage. Some observers say the events of the past few weeks have made thousands of Nepali girls and young women targets for human traffickers.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Nepal are living without shelter or possessions. Activists¹ say the recent earthquakes have left poor women and girls weak and vulnerable to human traffickers. Health workers say the traffickers promise jobs and money, but do not give the girls and women either.

Non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, say the criminal organizations are targeting the country’s rural communities. They say some of the groups are using humanitarian² activities to hide their true intent – to kidnap women or trick them to move away.

A woman named Anuradha Koirala created the anti-trafficking organization Maiti Nepal.

“All the areas which have been affected³, these are the areas which have been affected very badly and where 80 percent of the children are trafficked. Very few people are concentrating on this issue. We think these children are most vulnerable, we have to save them and we have to take care of them. We have ourselves have already rescued three children.”

The United Nations says as many as 15,000 girls are trafficked each year from Nepal. Many are forced into sex work in countries as far away as South Korea and South Africa. Most of the young women, however, are sent to India to work in brothels -- places where men pay to have sex.

The United Nations Children’s Fund is calling for the creation of temporary places for learning. It says almost one million Nepalese children cannot return to their schools because of damage to the buildings. Officials estimate 24,000 classrooms were damaged or destroyed in the powerful earthquake last month. The UN agency says more than 90 percent of schools were destroyed in some places. In other areas, schools are being used as emergency shelters for earthquake survivors⁴.

Anuradha Koirala says officials should work to rebuild the schools and tell people in rural areas about the threat from traffickers.

“Our focus should be on reconstruction⁵. The reconstruction of the schools first, and education should be free, compulsory⁶. The full international community we should get together and work on the prevention – prevention and protection of girls and children who have been survivors. At the same time, we should take prevention programs, awareness⁷ programs to the villages because then only people can be aware and I think we can minimize trafficking.”          

A report by the United States government says Nepali women and girls are often forced to work as housekeepers⁸ in Nepal and India. It says others are employed in factories or mines. Some find work in the adult entertainment industry. While others, still, beg on the streets, or ask people for money. Others are sent to Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, and even the nearby Chinese district of Khasa.

The U.S. State Department report says Nepal has failed to meet what it calls “the minimum standards for the elimination⁹ of trafficking.” But it said major efforts were being made by Nepalese officials to stop human trafficking. But anti-trafficking activists fear that whatever progress was being made will stop because of the earthquake.

Words in This Story

vulnerable – adj. open to attack, harm or damage; easily hurt or harmed physically¹⁰, mentally or emotionally

trafficker – n. a person who buys or sells something illegally, such as drugs and human beings

intent – n. the thing that you plan to do or achieve; an aim or purpose

brothel – n. a building in which sex workers are available

compulsory – adj. required by a law or rule

minimize – v. to make as small as possible

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 housekeepers   

n.（女）管家( housekeeper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Can you send up one of your housekeepers to make bed? 请你派个女服务员来整理床铺好吗？ 来自互联网
• They work as gas station attendants, firemen, housekeepers,and security personnel. 本句翻译：机器人也能够作为煤气站的服务员，救火队员等保安作用。 来自互联网

9 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

10 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。