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VOA慢速英语2013 孟加拉国服装工人的权利得到加强

时间:2013-08-06 13:36:14

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AS IT IS 2013-07-30 Bangladesh Garment Workers' Rights Strengthened孟加拉国服装工人的权利得到加强

From VOA Learning English, welcome to As It Is. I’m Steve Ember.

Today we tell about efforts to strengthen the rights of about four million garment workers in Bangladesh.

And we hear about conditions in the Congo Basin rainforest. A new report says the area is losing fewer trees than a few years ago.

Finally, from the Model T to the Mustang, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the man who brought the assembly line to automobile1 building.

But first, to the clothing factories of Bangladesh:

Recent actions by the government in Bangladesh and western companies are leading to changes in the country’s garment industry.

More than 1,100 workers died last April after the Rana Plana garment factory fell down in Bangladesh. The incident led to international pressure to improve conditions in factories. The pressure led Bangladesh to amend2 its labor3 law.

Akramul Qader is the Bangladeshi ambassador to the United States. He says the new measure will strengthen the rights of his country’s four million garment workers. Most of them are women. Mr. Qader says the legislation will let the workers form labor unions and receive other benefits, like financial aid after they retire.

Kimberly Elliott is with the Center for Global Development. She says the law may help prevent another building collapse4. Ms. Elliott says the measure takes steps to try to improve building safety requirements.

Such improvements can take place only if there are enough inspectors5.  Ambassador Qader says Bangladesh has at least 5,000 factories. But he says the government does not know where they all are.

“We’re taking different steps now to insure that a good number of inspectors are in place so that they can go and inspect the factories and submit their reports and the government can take action.”

The new law bars unequal treatment based on sex and disability. Factories are required to place five percent of profits into an employees’ welfare fund. However, that requirement does not include the export workforce6, which involves a large number of workers. 

Kimberly Elliott says that under the law, workers no longer need approval from factory owners to form unions. 

“There were provisions to try and avoid a problem that has been a big one in the past - (the problem of) the labor ministry7 sharing the names of union supporters with management who can then fire them or move them to a different factory. So that has been changed.”

The measure was passed soon after the United States said it was suspending favorable trade treatment for Bangladesh.

European retail8 companies recently approved a plan to accept legal responsibility for safety. The companies have ordered inspections10 at their factories in Bangladesh. North American retailers11 recently announced a separate agreement that does not hold them responsible for factory safety. 

As It Is is coming to you from VOA Learning English.

Congo Basin Rain Forest Losing Fewer Trees...

A new report says loss of trees in the Congo Basin rain forest is slowing down. The Congo Basin is the world’s second largest rain forest after the Amazon in South America. Scientists say the report has good news about the environment. Christopher Cruise has more. 

Researcher Simon Lewis is with the University College London. He says Central Africa lost about 285,000 hectares worth of forests each year during the 1990s. In the 2000s, he says, the area lost about 100,000 hectares of trees each year. He called the big drop in deforestation, “quite surprising.”

The new study is based on examination of satellite images. It found the loss of trees in the Congo Basin is lower than in other major tropical forest areas.

Simon Lewis says the way that Central African countries have developed their economies may be partly responsible. He says the countries depend heavily on oil and mineral wealth, and are investing less in agricultural expansion.

“So we have not seen the big increase in industrial agriculture like we have seen in the Amazon for soya and in Southeast Asia for palm oil. That is not yet happening on a large scale in Central Africa, hence the low deforestation rates.”

But he says that could be changing. He notes that Central Africa is at an important period in its development, with better living conditions, more people and growing demand for food.

As these changes influence demand for commodities from agricultural land, he believes deforestation is likely to rise.

“In the Amazon and in Southeast Asia, really large areas of what were rainforests have been converted to do this industrial-scale agriculture.  And that may be counted as the first signs that this might be coming to central Africa.”

I’m Christopher Cruise.   

From the Model T to the Mustang, a 150 Year Birthday Note... 

Finally, Tuesday is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry Ford12.

Ford’s ideas about automobile production changed the world’s way of making cars. 

Ford was born on his family’s farm in Wayne County, Michigan on July 30, 1863. But farming was not for him. At age 16, he left home to learn the trade of machinist in Detroit. His talent for mechanics and engineering earned him several good jobs. But while he worked at his jobs, he was planning to build a horseless carriage.

Ford created the first model in 1896. A few trial versions of the car later, he established the Ford Motor Company in 1903. The famous Model T came five years after that. 

Henry Ford was a major American industrialist13 and businessman. But he probably is best remembered for the conveyer belt and assembly line. 

This way, workers were able to put together cars by adding parts that are carried on a moving conveyor belt. The parts went directly to the worker, or workers, responsible for putting them on the vehicle. This permitted many automobiles14 to be produced quickly. It also enabled Ford to sell cars generally at a lower price than his competitors.

Between 1908 and 1928, almost 17 million Model Ts were produced throughout the world.

Well, we’ve certainly had a good ride today, but my arm is kind of tired from cranking that Model T. But I think a little spin around the hills of San Francisco in the Mustang is just what the doctor ordered. Move over, McQueen.

[Car chase from “Bullitt”]

We had help today in the pits from Jeri Watson and Chris Cruise. And final inspection9 of our shiny new vehicle was by editor George Grow.

And that’s As It Is, from VOA Learning English. Steve Ember, here. Thanks for joining us. See you next time…if I still have my driver’s license15


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 automobile rP1yv     
n.汽车,机动车
参考例句:
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
2 amend exezY     
vt.修改,修订,改进;n.[pl.]赔罪,赔偿
参考例句:
  • The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
  • You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。
3 labor P9Tzs     
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。
4 collapse aWvyE     
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷
参考例句:
  • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
  • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
5 inspectors e7f2779d4a90787cc7432cd5c8b51897     
n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 );(英国公共汽车或火车上的)查票员;(警察)巡官;检阅官
参考例句:
  • They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过,通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
7 ministry kD5x2     
n.(政府的)部;牧师
参考例句:
  • They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
  • We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
8 retail VWoxC     
v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格
参考例句:
  • In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
  • These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
9 inspection y6TxG     
n.检查,审查,检阅
参考例句:
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
  • The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。
10 inspections c445f9a2296d8835cd7d4a2da50fc5ca     
n.检查( inspection的名词复数 );检验;视察;检阅
参考例句:
  • Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
  • Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 retailers 08ff8df43efeef1abfd3410ef6661c95     
零售商,零售店( retailer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
  • Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。
12 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
13 industrialist JqSz4Y     
n.工业家,实业家
参考例句:
  • The industrialist's son was kidnapped.这名实业家的儿子被绑架了。
  • Mr.Smith was a wealthy industrialist,but he was not satisfied with life.史密斯先生是位富有的企业家,可他对生活感到不满意。
14 automobiles 760a1b7b6ea4a07c12e5f64cc766962b     
n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后,就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上,汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
15 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

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