世界节假日博览 第111期:世界无童工日

 One of the world’s most serious problems is the use of child labour. June 12 is the World Day Against Child Labour. All around the world people will take part in activities to raise awareness¹ of the damage child labour does to children, families and societies. The day is also one on which the world promotes the human rights of children. The United Nations set out in its Millennium² Development Goals a number of targets to help prevent child labour. By 2015, it hopes all children complete their primary education and that there is equality in education. To do this, governments must take steps to reduce poverty and provide enough jobs for adults. These are the two main reasons why we have child labour today.

童工是全球重要问题之一。每年的6月12日为世界无童工日。各界人士开展主题活动，提高童工对儿童、家庭以及社会危害意识。通过无童工日，宣扬儿童人权保障。在联合国千年发展目标中，为解决童工问题设定了诸多目标。到2015年之前，完成对儿童的小学教育目标，从而促进儿童教育平等。为实现这一目标，政府必须采取措施减少贫困，增加成人就业率。童工现象原因有二。

There are over 250 million children worldwide who work in some kind of labour. Eighty percent of these, around 200 million, work in dangerous and hazardous³ conditions. A senior UNICEF spokesperson on child protection said: “Child labour is a widespread phenomenon all over the world. When that work stands between a child and his or her chances for education, or affects his or her health, then we consider this a violation⁴ of the rights of children.” There are many terrible forms of child labour. These include working in dangerous mines deep below the ground and being a slave in the sex industry. Many children are sold by their parents to raise money. Many more are beaten and abused by cruel employers, or sold by child traffickers.

全球有2.5亿童工。约2亿（80%）儿童的工作条件极其危险。“儿童基金会”儿童保护高官表示：“童工是全球性问题。童工阻碍了儿童受教育，儿童健康随即受到影响，那么我们认为这侵犯了儿童权力。”许多工作形式及其糟糕。包括井下开矿以及刑奴。许多儿童被父母贱卖挣钱。许多儿童遭受雇主毒打虐待，或被人贩售卖。

1.human rights 人权

例句：In the treaty both sides pledge to respect human rights.

双方在条约中都许诺尊重人权。

2.child labour 童工

例句：They have promoted child nutrition, health and schooling⁵ and reduced child labour.

它们促进了儿童的营养、保健和学校教育，减少了童工现象。

3.take part in 参与

例句：When you take part in any performance, you get out as much as you put in.

你参加任何活动，你投入多少力量就会得到多少收获。

4.a number of 许多

例句：The speaker can extemporize⁶ on any of a number of subjects.

该演讲人对若干题目中的任一个都能即席发言。

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

3 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

6 extemporize   

v.即席演说，即兴演奏，当场作成

参考例句：

• He had to extemporize because he had forgotten to bring his notes.他因为忘了带讲稿，只好即席发言。
• Certain performers are funnier when they extemporize.有些演员即兴表演时更有趣。