VOA常速英语2007年-South African Miners Strike Over Poor Safety

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
04 December 2007

South Africa's biggest union has staged a one-day strike to protest safety and security problems that have contributed to an increase in mining deaths this year.  Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg the work stoppage disrupted South Africa's largest industry and rattled¹ commodity markets.

Thousands of miners marched to the Chamber² of Mines in downtown Johannesburg to protest deadly accidents in South Africa's mines.  More than 200 workers have died this year.

The spokesman for the National Union of Mineworkers, Lesiba Seshoka, said the miners have asked mine operators to invest more heavily in safety, but the reforms have not been implemented³.

"We are simply sending a strong message to them to say we are giving you a warning, to say if this kind of behavior continues you will see the real wrath⁴ of the mine workers of this country in a year or in a few months' time," said Seshoka.

The 250,000-member National Union of Mineworkers is South Africa's largest trade union.  It is protesting the resurgence⁵ of mine-related deaths that had declined from about 500 a year, 10 years ago.

Last October more than 3,000 miners were trapped for more than 24 hours after an elevator broke down.  All were rescued unharmed.

The executive director of South Africa's Chamber of Mines, Frans Barker, told national radio that mine operators are also concerned about safety.

"Unfortunately in the last year or so, our [safety] situation has deteriorated," he said.  "So we ourselves are concerned about that and we have ourselves launched initiatives and we also now want to sit down with the unions and to see what we can do."

He said operators want to include government officials in their meetings with the unions in order to address a shortage of mine inspectors⁶.

Most of South Africa's mining accidents have been caused by rock falls or explosions, but critics charge that some are due to lax safety practices.

The miners say owners are more interested in maintaining production than high safety standards.

About 700 mines operate in South Africa.  They employ nearly 500,000 workers and provide 16 percent of gross domestic product.  South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum⁷, gold, and vanadium as well as a key producer of coal, diamonds, nickel, and uranium.

News of the strike drove up the price of platinum, while share prices for major mining companies fell on world markets.

1 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

4 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

5 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

6 inspectors   

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》

7 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。