时差N小时 学生也可以休产假（在线收听）

One thing we don't quite understand is why the local press should hype the maternity leave the Ministry of Education has decided to grant high-school girls. Perhaps there was no other issue the local media thought interesting enough to attract readers and viewers.

我们非常不理解，当地媒体为何对教育部准予高中女生休产假这件事如此大肆炒作——大概是他们没有其它可以吸引读者和观众的事情了吧。

Such help is already available in all developed countries of the world, however. In the United States, for instance, high-school mothers can even feed their babies between classes. But, this seemingly insignificant piece of news did not escape the eyes of reporters with a nose for news, like those of a bloodhound for game. They wanted a hullabaloo.

其实，这种事在所有的发达国家都见怪不怪了。例如，美国的高中生母亲甚至可以在课间给自己的婴儿喂奶。但是，这件看似不起眼的消息没能逃脱那些新闻嗅觉灵敏的记者们的眼睛。他们就像一个个猎犬一样。他们要的是一个爆炸性的效果。

Fortunately, they did not succeed. The reason is simple. Taiwanese parents mostly agreed that something had to be done for hapless girls carrying babies while attending high school. Awarding them maternity leave is the least the education ministry can and should do to help them. There are not many high-school mothers, but that does not mean the authorities should ignore their predicament. For one thing, they are, as often as not, ostracized by their peers. As a result, many pregnant teens abort unwanted babies. Most of the new mothers drop out of school, with little chance to complete secondary education.

幸运的是，他们的如意算盘落空了。原因很简单。台籍家长们大多认为，他们应该为那些无助的高中生妈妈们做点什么。准许她们休产假算是教育部能为她们所做的最起码的事。虽然高中生妈妈并非多数，但这并不意味着当局就应忽视她们的困境。此外，她们往往受到同龄人的排斥。因此，许多怀孕的少女选择了堕胎。就是那些生下孩子的新妈妈们，她们大多也会选择辍学，鲜有人能够完成中学学业。

At any rate, it is of paramount importance that all students realize that all newborn babies are welcome.

无论如何，所有的学生都意识到，每个新生儿都应受到呵护——这才是最重要的。