VOA标准英语2013--各国政府，非政府组织，努力制止贩运劳工

 

Governments, NGOs, Work to End Labor¹ Trafficking 各国政府，非政府组织，努力制止贩运劳工

LOS ANGELES — The International Labor Organization says more than 20 million people are subject to forced labor, working on farms, in factories, or as domestic  helpers.  Those who are fighting human trafficking say it is a problem in both the developing world and industrial countries, including the United States.

Stories of modern-day bondage² are in the headlines.  Sixty women and girls held captive in New Delhi brothels were rescued by Indian police last year.  And authorities  say millions of Indian children are forced to work.

In June, police freed hundreds of workers held captive at a tomato farm in Mexico.  The workers say they were not paid the promised wages.

Last month in Los Angeles, authorities announced a settlement with Del Monte Fresh Produce, and the ongoing³ prosecution⁴ of a labor supplier and another grower.  Other  growers remain in settlement talks.

Thiem Chayadit was one of 150 workers from Thailand employed on farms in Hawaii who will share in the $1.2 million Del Monte settlement, outlined by the U.S. Equal  Employment Opportunity Commission.

It is good news for Chaiyajit, who borrowed more than $20,000 to pay traffickers to come to America.  He says he was not paid for his work in Hawaii.

He says he was very frustrated⁵ because he did not know where to find the money to pay off the debt in Thailand.

Commission regional attorney Anna Park says the legal action is part of a wider effort by the U.S. government to end forced labor, in this case using laws against  discrimination because of national origin.

“Often times you hear stories about people escaping from their employment.  You do not really hear those terms in normal employment discrimination cases," said Park.

At All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, trafficking survivor⁶ Ima Matul describes her ordeal⁷ as a domestic servant after she was recruited in Indonesia.

“Who does not want to come to the United States?  They promised me $150 a month and a day off, and I do not have to pay any fee for my flight, visa, passport," said  Matul.

But for three years, she was forced to work seven days a week, abused and not paid.  Ima spoke⁸ little English when she arrived in the United States, but finally  learned enough to write a note to a neighbor, who helped her escape.

“I still remember exactly how it was and how it was when I was escaping," she said.

She now works for the non-profit Coalition⁹ to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, which helped her create a new life and helps others trapped in labor bondage.

Church member Aubin Wilson says she invited Ima to speak to the congregation's women to publicize a hidden problem.

“And to create awareness¹⁰ and to raise monies and pass legislation that stops this trafficking in its tracks," said Wilson.

Catherine Chen works in Washington, DC for Humanity United, a non-profit group that has partnered with the U.S. government to find new ways to do that, and help the  victims.

“One of the most urgent things that survivors¹¹ need is access to safe housing, access to basic legal assistance, mental health care, medical care.  Some of even the  basic things like toothbrushes and soap, are things that survivors often do not have when they get out of their situations," said Chen.

She says human trafficking works through a global supply chain and that law enforcement, government and social agencies need to work together to address the problem. 

1 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。

2 bondage   

n.奴役，束缚

参考例句：

• Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.奴隶主们有时允许奴隶为自己赎身。
• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

5 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

7 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 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。

11 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