【英语时差8,16】儿童劳动法

Child Labor¹ Laws- Today on Congressional Moment Over a hundred years ago the Industrial Revolution quickened the pace of manufacturing, and businessmen sought cheaper labor. Millions of children worked at dangerous jobs, and the national debate over Child Labor laws began. Listen to these journal entries from the early 1900s... Character Voice 1 ) (rain sfx) On cold, rainy mornings, well before dawn, I have been awakened² by the clatter³ of boots as the half-awake, joyless children hurried not to school, but to the great factory. They are thin and sickly looking... Character Voice 2 ) (factory efx) I worked in a factory where they made oil cans, and I saw children 8 and 10 years old work like slaves on big machines...most every day it happened that a finger or hand was cut off, but that didn't matter, they were sent home, and others would take their places. ANNCR: The injustices⁴ of child labor prompted people to organize, in an effort to get Congressional regulation. While many states took it upon themselves to regulate child labor, many did not. As national discontent continued to grow, a key challenge for Congress was protecting children in every state without interfering⁵ with state's rights. Eventually, after years of debate, the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938, and upheld by the Supreme⁶ Court in 1941. It provided basic protections, not only to children, but to all workers in the U.S. STANDARD CLOSING: This is Lee Hamilton. Congressional decisions impact all our lives. To find out more about how Congress works, or to get involved in your government, visit the Center On Congress website at congress.indiana.edu.

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 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

4 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

5 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。