环球英语 — 27：The Universal Declaration of Human Righ

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹. I’m Bryan VanHaitsma.
Voice 2
And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
One of our producers, Christy VanArragon, carries something very special in her handbag. Yes, she carries money in her handbag. She carries pictures of her family. She carries her driving licence². But she also carries something else. She carries a small book. In the book there is a list of her rights as a human and as an international citizen. The list is called the Universal Declaration³ of Human Rights. Here is Christy to tell us more about why she carries this list of human rights.
Christy
I carry the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for two reasons. First, if I know what these rights are I can be sure that I am respecting the rights of other people, and that they are respecting mine. And I can know if my government is respecting human rights or not. But I also carry the list because sometimes I forget all of the rights I have. I am very thankful for my rights. I want to remember that not all people experience these rights. There are many people who struggle without their rights. Yet these people deserve⁴ rights just as much as I do. My list helps me to remember to work hard so that all people can experience their rights.
Voice 2
On December 10 1948, the countries belonging to the United Nations, or UN, signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At that time there were fifty-eight [58] nations belonging to the UN. Today, there are one hundred and ninety-one [191] nations that belong to the United Nations. That is most of the nations in the world!
Voice 1
All nations that join the UN accept the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as being good. The Declaration is not a treaty⁵. However, accepting the Declaration means that governments should work to encourage these human rights in their own nations. That is one hundred and ninety-one nations that should be working to encourage human rights! So, do you think the world is doing a good job protecting human rights?
Voice 2
Well, maybe you cannot answer that until you know what the Declaration says. We have prepared this special version* from the one that Christy carries in her handbag. As you listen, remember that ‘we’ means all of us - everybody, and no-one means none of us, nobody. Ask yourself, ‘Did I know that all people should have all of these rights? How is the world doing at respecting these rights? How are individual governments doing? And how am I doing?’
Voice Mix
We are all born free. We should have equal respect and equal rights. [1]
Everybody should have these rights. It does not matter what colour, race, sex, or age we are. It does not matter about our religion or our political opinion. It does not matter if we have money or not. It does not matter where we are from. [2]
We all have the right to life and security⁶.[3]
No-one should be a slave. Slavery and the slave trade are not permitted in any form. [4]
No-one should experience torture⁷. Nobody should be treated or punished as if they are less than human. [5]
We are all people, and the law should recognise that, everywhere. [6]
We should receive equal protection under the law. That includes protection of the human rights in this Declaration. [7]
We should be able to go to a court of law if our legal rights are broken. [8]
No-one should be arrested without good reason. No-one should be held prisoner or exiled⁸ without reason. [9]
Everybody has the right to a fair trial. We should be considered innocent⁹ until proven guilty. [10, 11]
We should not suffer attacks on our good name or honour. Our family and home should be respected as private. [12]
We have the right to move freely¹⁰ in our own countries. We should be able to leave any country, including our own, and return to our country. [13]
Everybody has the right to seek freedom from persecution¹¹ in other countries. [14]
Everybody has the right to be a part of a nation.[15]
Adult men and women have the right to marry and start a family. Marriage should only happen when both the man and the woman agree. [16]
Families should be protected by their nation. [16]
Everybody has the right to own property. [17]
We have the right to freedom of thought and religion. And we have the right to change religions. Everybody has the right to worship¹² in public or in private. [18]
We have the right to express our own opinion. [19]
We have the right to gather peacefully. [20]
We have the right to take part in the government of our own countries. We have equal rights to public services that the country offers. [21, 22]
Everybody has the right to work. [23]
Everybody has the right to equal working conditions. Everybody has the right to equal pay for equal work. [23]
Everybody has the right to form and join trade unions - groups that protect workers’ interests. [23]
Everybody has the right to rest. Working hours should be reasonably limited, with paid holidays every so often. [24]
Everybody has the right to health and well-being¹³. This means that everybody has the right to food, clothes, housing¹⁴, and medical care. [25]
Everybody has the right to an education. [26]
Everybody has the right to enjoy the arts and culture of their community. [27]
Everybody has the right to social and international order. [28]
We have these rights, but we must use them in a way that respects other people’s rights. [29] This Declaration itself should never be used to destroy people’s human rights. [30]
Voice 1
The truth is that many people all over the world do not experience all of their human rights. They struggle every day. Every nation experiences problems with human rights -- mine and yours.
Voice 2
That is why the Declaration of Human Rights is so important. It is important that all people know what their human rights are. But, it is more important that people know the rights of other people. Knowing about human rights can make it easier to respect the rights of other people.
Voice 1
For people of faith, respect for humans shows respect for God, who created us. The Bible¹⁵ says, “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” That is - treat people how you would like to be treated.
Voice 2
Defending the human rights of other people helps build communities where freedom and dignity are expected and respected. The UN believes that protecting human rights involves everybody, especially those people who enjoy their human rights. It involves governments, but it also involves individuals. The roots of respect for human rights are in you, and in me.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 licence   

n.证书；许可证，执照；v.许可；批准

参考例句：

• The restaurant applied for a licence to sell wine.那家餐厅申请售酒许可证。
• He hadn't paid his television licence fee.他尚未缴纳电视机使用许可费。

3 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

4 deserve   

vt.应受，值得；vi. 应受报答，值得受赏

参考例句：

• You really deserve a good beating,you naughty boy.你这个调皮孩子真该打。
• I do not deserve all the praises bestowed upon me.我不配得到这些赞扬。

5 treaty   

n.条约；协议，协定

参考例句：

• Hungary has indicated its readiness to sign the treaty.匈牙利已表示愿意签订该条约。
• I believe this treaty will pave the way to peace in Europe. 我相信这个条约将为欧洲的和平铺平道路。

6 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

7 torture   

n.折磨；v.折磨，使痛苦；使苦恼，使为难

参考例句：

• No torture would make him speak.任何严刑拷打都不能使他开口。
• Through those long years of imprisonment and torture,he remained faithful and unyielding.在那些遭受囚禁和酷刑的漫长岁月里，他始终坚贞不屈。

8 exiled   

adj. 流亡的，放逐的 动词exile的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• diehard supporters of the exiled king 顽固支持流亡国王的人
• The king exiled one of his official for murder. 国王因他的一个大臣犯谋杀罪而将他放逐。

9 innocent   

adj.无罪的，清白的；无害的；天真的，单纯的

参考例句：

• I'm not quite so innocent as to believe that.我还不至于简单到相信那种事的地步。
• I was very young,and very innocent.我那时非常年轻，幼稚无知。

10 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

11 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

12 worship   

n.崇拜，礼拜；v.崇拜，敬仰；做礼拜

参考例句：

• The Greeks used to worship several gods.过去，希腊人崇奉好几种神。
• Blind worship must be ended.盲目崇拜必须停止。

13 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

14 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

15 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。