VOA标准英语2009年-Abuses Against Children Persist Despite Ri

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
08 October 2009

Child rights advocates have kicked off more than a month of global activities leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The Convention, which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on November 20, 1989, is the most widely ratified¹ international human rights treaty.  Every country in the world, except the United States and Somalia, has ratified it. 

Before the Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force in 1989, most of the world thought children should be seen and not heard.  Now, 20 years later, some of their voices are being heard, but their rights continue to be violated.

 

 
Mia Farrow (file photo)
 
"I believe every child has the right to feel safe, protected from armed conflict, abuse, child labor², trafficking, exploitation.  It is really very simple.  No child should have to suffer at the hands of others.  Not one," says UNICEF Goodwill³ Ambassador, Hollywood actress, Mia Farrow, who has been fighting for the rights of children for years.  She is one of several Goodwill Ambassadors who have lent their fame to this video to speak out on behalf of the millions of children who continue to be cruelly taken advantage of.

The U.N. High Commissioner⁴ for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expresses her admiration⁵ of the Convention.  At the same time, she acknowledges the gaps in the implementation⁶ of the rights and protections enshrined in this document.

With the adoption⁷ of the Convention, she notes the international community unanimously recognized for the first time in history that children are not simply the property of their parents or guardians⁸, but are in charge of their own destiny.

 
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, South African judge Navanethem (Navi) Pillay (2008 file photo)
"However, despite this widespread support for, and awareness⁹ of the rights of the child, there persist severe violations¹⁰, including violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, child trafficking and forced labor," says Pillay. "Also tragically¹¹ evident are those multiple and overlapping¹² forms of discrimination that affect girls, children with disabilities and those from minority and indigenous¹³ populations, street children, children in conflict with the law, refugee and migrant children." 

Pillay says some of the most pervasive¹⁴ forms of discrimination and exploitation experienced by children have become more widespread and known since the adoption of the Convention.

Deputy Executive Director of the U.N. Children's Fund, Saad Houry, agrees that the reality does not always live up to the Convention's vision of a world that is made safe for all children.  He says millions of children remain excluded from that dream.

"Despite remarkable¹⁵ economic growth in scores of countries over the past 20 years, shocking disparities are also growing, with the poorest children left further behind," said Houry.  "The occasion of the CRC's (Convention on the Rights of the Child) 20th anniversary is an opportunity for us all to reflect upon the injustice¹⁶ of such disparities, and to rededicate our efforts to realizing the rights of these excluded children, as well as to sustain the gains made to date." 

Houry says governments must enact¹⁷ laws that protect the rights of children.  And, children, he says must know and understand their rights, so they can claim them.

1 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

4 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

7 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

8 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

9 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。

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

11 tragically   

adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地

参考例句：

• Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。
• Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。

12 overlapping   

adj./n.交迭（的）

参考例句：

• There is no overlapping question between the two courses. 这两门课程之间不存在重叠的问题。
• A trimetrogon strip is composed of three rows of overlapping. 三镜头摄影航线为三排重迭的象片所组成。

13 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

14 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

15 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

16 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

17 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。