环球英语 — 149：Nightlight

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid.
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 4
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Voice 1
Nightlight is a group that works² with sex workers in Bangkok, Thailand. The members of Nightlight bring light to the dark world of the sex industry. Today’s Spotlight is on Nightlight.
Voice 2
Pim used to be a sex worker in Bangkok. She told the BBC³ her story*.
Voice 3
I grew up in the country. I lived with my parents. They were farmers. I helped them in the fields. We were poor. But we always had enough money to live.
When I was fifteen [15] my family started to fall apart. My father drank alcohol⁴ a lot, but it became worse and worse. He started becoming violent⁵. So, my mother, sister and I moved out.
I wanted to study to become a health worker. But I had to leave school when my parents separated⁶. I found a job as a day labourer⁷, harvesting crops for a local farmer. I did not like the job. It paid only a small amount each day.
At about that same time my friend moved to Bangkok. When she returned for a visit she told me she was earning a lot of money. She said she was serving food. But, people in the village began talking. They said that she was doing something other than serving food.
My friend asked me to come to Bangkok with her to work. At that time I was too young and afraid. But a few years later I had given birth to a daughter. And my husband and I had separated. So, I changed my mind. I went to Bangkok.
I left my baby with my mother and told her I was going to earn money. But I did not tell my mother what I was doing for the money. I still have not told her. She would be so ashamed⁸.
Voice 1
In Bangkok Pim became a sex worker. She had sex with men for money. She sent money home to her mother and baby. Many women around the world are sex workers like Pim. Some of them feel that it is the only way to make money. It is the only way to support themselves and their families. But sometimes people force women to be sex workers. People buy, sell and trade women. They use women as sex slaves⁹.
Voice 2
Most women do not want to be sex workers. It is a dark world. It is a world filled with shame, violence¹⁰, and fear. Pim said,
Voice 3
“I wish I had never become a sex worker. I think some foreign men think it is okay to pay for sex in Thailand. They think the girls actually want to do this. But these men do not understand that most of us have no choice. We are just trying to earn money for our families and waiting for the chance to leave.”
Voice 1
Nightlight is a group in Thailand. Members of Nightlight understand that the life of a sex worker can be difficult and dangerous. They understand that most women would like to have a different life. That is why Nightlight works to take women off the streets. Nightlight helps women learn skills and start a new life. Nightlight helps bring women out of the dark, and into the light.
Voice 2
Nightlight works in an area of Bangkok that has a growing sex business. Many women and children work in very poor conditions here. Their lives are very difficult.
Voice 1
But Nightlight works to improve their lives. The group offers job training and education to sex workers. This helps women begin a new life in a safe job. These new skills help them provide for their families without having to feel shame. For example, Pim now works making jewellery¹¹. People at Nightlight taught her this skill. Pim said,
Voice 3
“...A friend of mine told me about Nightlight... Since I have started working for Nightlight, my life is so much better. I do not earn as much as I did in the bars, but it is worth it. And people here listen to me and care for me.”
Voice 2
Nightlight also teaches women about the risks of working in the sex industry. There are many diseases¹³ that could harm the workers. Nightlight provides health care for many women. The group wants to keep women free from disease¹². And to keep the women off of the streets, Nightlight provides shelter¹⁴. The women may stay in the shelter for safety.
Voice 1
But Nightlight does not only work with sex workers. The group also works in the community. The members educate the community about the sex industry. Many people do not even know that there is a sex trade. They do not know that people sell women. So, Nightlight teaches the community about this process. The group encourages the community to get involved in stopping the sex trade industry. Nightlight asks community members to pressure their governments to make new laws. Governments can help stop the trading of women.
Voice 2
And finally, Nightlight works to bring light to dark places. The sex industry is a dark world. It is a world filled with fear, sadness, shame and violence. It is an uncaring, unloving world, a place where many women feel alone. It is like a world without light.
Voice 1
So, how does Nightlight bring light to this dark world? The group tells people about Jesus. The Bible¹⁵ says that Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is love and mercy¹⁶. Jesus cares for all people. With Jesus there is no fear or sadness. And there is no reason to feel alone. Knowing Jesus is one way to have light in a dark world.
Voice 2
Thanks to Nightlight some women in Bangkok are slowly learning¹⁷ that it is possible to end sex work. There is another life for them. With the help of Nightlight they are gaining new skills, staying healthy and safe, and learning about Jesus, the light of the world.
Voice 4
The sex trade is now the third largest criminal¹⁸ money making industry in the world. It follows the illegal¹⁹ trade of weapons and drugs. The United²⁰ Nations estimates²¹ that the trade can make more than twelve thousand million [12,000,000,000] dollars each year. There are ways you can help stop the trading of human beings. The first and most important way is to learn about the problem. You can visit the web²² links on the bottom of this script²³ page to learn more information. And you can see if there are any groups in your area that work against the illegal trading of women.
 

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 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 BBC   

abbr.（=British Broadcasting Corporation）英国广播公司

参考例句：

• She works for the BBC.她为英国广播公司工作。
• The BBC was founded in 1922.英国广播公司建于1922年。

4 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

5 violent   

adj.暴力的，猛烈的，激烈的，极端的，凶暴的，歪曲的

参考例句：

• The madman was violent and had to be locked up.这个精神病患者很凶暴，不得不把他锁起来。
• They caught him and gave him a violent beating.他们抓住了他，把他狠狠打了一顿。

6 separated   

adj.分开的v.分开(separate的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Her parents are separated but not divorced. 她父母分居但没离婚。
• No child should ever be separated from his mother by force. 绝不能强行使任何一个孩子与母亲分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 labourer   

n.体力劳动者(美laborer)

参考例句：

• He got a job as a builder's labourer.他找到了一份建筑工人的工作。
• He used to be a long-term labourer for a landlord.他早先给地主扛过长活。

8 ashamed   

adj.感到惭愧，感到害臊，因为羞耻或勉强作某事

参考例句：

• He is ashamed to show his face at the club.他不好意思在俱乐部露脸。
• You ought to be ashamed of your foolish behaviour.你应当为自己的愚蠢行为而感到羞耻。

9 slaves   

n.奴隶( slave的名词复数 )；苦工；完全受（某事物）控制的人；完全依赖（某事物）的人v.奴隶般地工作，做苦工( slave的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Slaves were not emancipated until 1863 in the United States. 美国奴隶直到1863年才获得自由。
• fashionistas who are slaves to the latest trends 被潮流牵着鼻子走的赶时髦者

10 violence   

n.暴力，暴虐，暴行，猛烈，强烈，强暴

参考例句：

• It was an absolutely senseless act of violence.这是毫无意义的暴力行为。
• They attacked with violence.他们猛烈攻击。

11 jewellery   

n.[总称]珠宝；珠宝饰物 (=jewelery)

参考例句：

• She never wears jewellery.她从不戴首饰。
• The police recovered the stolen jewellery.警察追回了失窃的珠宝。

12 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

13 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

14 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

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。

16 mercy   

n.仁慈，宽恕，怜悯

参考例句：

• Mercy to the enemies means cruelty to the people.对敌人的仁慈就意味着对人民的残忍。
• It is a mercy that you did not go.你幸好没有去。

17 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

18 criminal   

n.罪犯，犯人，刑事；adj.犯了罪的，罪的，有罪的

参考例句：

• He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
• We captured the criminal.我们捕获了那个犯人。

19 illegal   

adj.不合法的，非法的，犯法的

参考例句：

• I don't want to get mixed up with any illegal organization.我不想与任何非法组织有牵连。
• It's illegal for people under 17 to drive a car in Britain.在英国，不满17岁的人驾驶车辆是违法的。

20 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

21 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 web   

n.网，蛛丝，蹼，织物，圈套，卷筒纸；vi.生蹼，形成网；vt.织蜘蛛网于，使落入圈套

参考例句：

• The spider weaves a web.蜘蛛织网。
• You mean the World Wide Web?你是说国际互联网？

23 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。