TED演讲:见证现代奴役的照片(2)

 We started talking about slavery, and really, I started learning about slavery,  我们聊起了奴隶制度,而此时我才开始真正了解奴役的现实,

for I had certainly known it existed in the world, but not to such a degree.  虽然我一直都知道世上奴隶制尚存,但完全不知道事态的严重性。

After we finished talking, I felt so horrible and honestly ashamed at my own lack of knowledge of this atrocity¹ in my own lifetime,  在我们的谈话结束后，我感觉非常的糟糕并且为自己对这样残暴的现象缺乏认知感觉到惭愧，

and I thought,if I don't know, how many other people don't know?  我想如果我不知道，还有多少人也一样不知道？

It started burning a hole in my stomach, so within weeks,  这个想法让我坐立难安，

I flew down to Los Angeles to meet with the director of Free the Slaves and offer them my help.  几周后我就飞去了洛杉矶去见Free The Slaves组织的负责人，想要有所作为。

Thus began my journey into modern day slavery. Oddly, I had been to many of these places before.  由此开始了我深入现代奴隶制度的旅程。奇怪的是，那些地方我都去过。

Some I even considered like my second home. But this time, I would see the skeletons hidden in the closet.  有的我还把他们当成是我的第二故乡。但是这一次，我要去挖掘那些见不得光的秘密。

A conservative estimate tells us there are more than 27 million people enslaved in the world today. 据保守估计当今全世界有超过2700万人被奴役。

That's double the amount of people taken from Africa during the entire trans-Atlantic slave trade. 这个数字是在跨大西洋奴隶贸易中从非洲被贩卖的黑奴总数的两倍。

A hundred and fifty years ago, an agricultural slave cost about three times the annual salary of an American worker. 150年前，一个农奴的价格抵得上美国一名普通工人年薪的三倍。

That equates² to about $50,000 in today's money.  相当于今天的5万美金。

Yet today, entire families can be enslaved for generations over a debt as small as $18. 但是在今天，一整个家庭被世代奴役的代价可能就只有18美金的欠债。

Astonishingly, slavery generates profits of more than $13 billion worldwide each year.  让人震惊的是，奴隶在全球产生的利润每年超过130亿美金。

1 atrocity   

n.残暴，暴行

参考例句：

• These people are guilty of acts of great atrocity.这些人犯有令人发指的暴行。
• I am shocked by the atrocity of this man's crimes.这个人行凶手段残忍狠毒使我震惊。

2 equates   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的第三人称单数 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• He equates success with material wealth. 他认为成功等同于物质财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This equates to increased and vigor, better sleep and sharper mental acuity. 也就是说可以起到增强活力，改善睡眠，提高心智的作用。 来自互联网