2007年VOA标准英语-Nigeria Intercepts 62 Suspected Child Laborers

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
18 July 2007

Nigerian authorities are investigating a suspected case of human trafficking involving children. Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA that Nigeria has taken a tough stance in the fight against human trafficking.

 

Nearly all 62 young people now in the custody¹ of the Nigeria's anti-trafficking agency are said to be from neighboring Benin or Togo. The agency's spokesman Arinze Oraukwe says a regional approach has become imperative² in the fight against what is considered a lucrative³ trade involving children.

 

"These countries need to set up similar structures and similar instruments of law like Nigeria has done, so that these cross-border movements are not allowed, so long as victims are being taken out of the shores for illegal movements, like trafficking in persons," said Oraukwe.

The Nigerian police intercepted⁴ a truck in the country's south carrying the potential child laborers⁶ to Cameroon and Gabon. The children included a three-year-old girl. Oraukwe says some suspects have been arrested and would soon be prosecuted⁷.

"We have secured 12 convictions; we have not lost any case since this thing started," said Oraukwe. "We cannot let this matter go down like that, especially when it is not just Nigeria. What my boss is doing is to try to reach out to those countries that have their citizens here, to take custody of their citizens while we prosecute⁸ the traffickers."

 

Child trafficking is punishable by a maximum 10-year jail term in Nigeria.

 

West African girls are often trafficked into sexual exploitation, with others placed in domestic servitude, drug trafficking, and labor⁵ exploitation.

 

Human trafficking is a major problem in West Africa where most impoverished⁹ families are often glad to give their children away for a token.

 

The United Nations estimates the number of people trafficked each year range from between 600,000 to four million.

1 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

2 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

3 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

4 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

5 labor   

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。

6 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

7 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

8 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

9 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》