VOA常速英语2008年-Film Highlights Child Labor Abuses in Uganda

By Birungi Machrine
Kampala
19 February 2008

A documentary has been released that depicts¹ child labor² in Uganda. The film, called “Stone Cold” is by local writer Michael Wawuya. It explores the causes and costs of child labor in a typical village. Voice of America English to Africa Service reporter Machrine Birungi in Kampala describes one of the scenes.

A little boy is carefully holding a tool that is bigger than his hand. Innocent Kiwanuka brings down the hammer as he smashes stones in the quarry³. He works in the scorching⁴ sun for 12 long hours. The payment for his labor? 500 shillings -- enough to buy him a cob of maize⁵ and a glass of juice.

The stone quarry is the setting of Michael Wawuya’s film, which centers on a rural father, his three children, and a rich investor⁶ who wants nine large truck-loads of stones from the quarry to construct a huge factory in the area.

Writer Michael Wawuya explains how the stone quarry inspired his film. “It is based on the family of a man who lives off of breaking stones and selling the aggregates⁸ [small pieces]. This is a man who was given money to collect nine tippers [trucks] of aggregate⁷ stones for one rich man. (But), he kind of misused⁹ that money and as a result he had to find some form of cheap labor to do the job. And so the cheap labor was his own children.”

One of the most daunting¹⁰ problems facing the children engaged in child labor is the parents’ failure to monitor what they do. Wawuya’s documentary shows the danger involved. He uses a story based on a real incident to raise awareness¹¹ about parental¹² responsibility and child exploitation. He says,“While they were working at the quarry he had left them unattended to and unguided. The quarry collapsed¹³. The two children died. He lost those two children because he left them unattended and gave them jobs that are meant for adults.”

James Lambert is a consultant¹⁴ with the International Program on the Elimination¹⁵ of Child Labor (IPEC). He says almost three million children in Uganda are laborers¹⁶.

Lambert says over 34 percent of all children in Uganda between the ages of five and 17 years are working. Over half of those between 10 and 14 years of age work.

In the streets of Kampala, the sight of children as young as two years is common. Some are begging money; others are helping¹⁷ take merchandise off of trucks. Girls often sell cooked food and sweets.

Wawuya describes a scene he witnessed, “I found some children at night. They were selling maize. It was about midnight and these children were sleeping beside their saucepans of maize.  I asked them, “What are you doing here?” And they said, “We were sent here to sell this maize.” So I asked them, ‘Why can’t you go back home; it’s like there is nobody buying.” They said, “No, we can’t go back home, because our mother will kill us if we go back home without money from the maize.” I decided¹⁸ to buy all the maize.  Actually, it had gone bad and the kids went back home. But I realized the level of abuse of children..."

The International Labor Organization and the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor are currently supporting the government of Uganda in finalizing¹⁹ the National Child Labor Policy.  It would encourage children to stay in school and help stop the coercion²⁰ of children into the labor market.

The title of the film, “Stone Cold,” was taken from the name of the stone quarry in the film. It is also the author’s description of the hearts of parents who allow their children to be abused. This is Michael Wawuya’s first film as a scriptwriter and producer. It’s being financed in part by the International Labor Organization, UNICEF and the British NGO Action Aid. Wawuya says he’s optimistic the film will help raise public consciousness regarding the treatment of children.

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1 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

2 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。

3 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

4 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

5 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

6 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

7 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

8 aggregates   

数( aggregate的名词复数 )； 总计； 骨料； 集料（可成混凝土或修路等用的）

参考例句：

• Snowflakes are loose aggregates of ice crystals. 雪花是冰晶的松散凝结。
• Our airplanes based in Europe should be included in the aggregates. 我们驻欧飞机应包括在总数内。

9 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

11 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。

12 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

13 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

14 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

15 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

16 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

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 finalizing   

vt.完成（finalize的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
• Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫，完美在此定格。 来自互联网

20 coercion   

n.强制，高压统治

参考例句：

• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions.既不诱供也不逼供。
• He paid the money under coercion.他被迫付钱。