VOA常速英语2008年-US Finds Fraud in Vietnam Adoptions

By Matt Steinglass
Hanoi
25 April 2008

A new report by the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam says fraud is pervasive¹ in the Vietnamese international adoption² system. Matt Steinglass reports from Hanoi.

A nine-page report released Friday by the embassy charges that some Vietnamese orphanages⁴ pay parents to put their children up for adoption so the orphanages can obtain donations from foreign adoption agencies.

The report says some orphanage³ officials embezzle⁵ foreign agencies' contributions. It details specific cases in which police and hospitals have coerced⁶ parents, or put children up for adoption without their parents' consent.

The head of Vietnam's Department of International Adoptions⁷, Vu Duc Long, categorically denies the charges.

Long says it is possible that some cases do not conform precisely⁸ to regulations, but that he can confirm there is no selling of babies.

 

Embassy spokeswoman Angela Aggeler says the U.S. stands by its report.

"The report that we produced on these adoption irregularities here in Vietnam is the result of months and months of investigations⁹ into hundreds of these adoption cases. And we have worked very, very hard to ensure that the findings are accurate. Because these are children. They're not commodities."

The U.S. is asking Vietnam to allow freer investigations and genetic¹⁰ testing to make sure people who give children up for adoption are really their parents.

U.S. adoptions from Vietnam had been on the rise, with over 300 so far this year. But the embassy now urges Americans not to initiate¹¹ any adoptions from Vietnam until new measures to prevent fraud have been implemented¹².

1 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

2 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

3 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。

4 orphanages   

孤儿院( orphanage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It is Rotarians running orphanages for children who have no homes. 扶轮社员们为没有家的孩子办孤儿院。
• Through the years, she built churches, hospitals and orphanages. 许多年来，她盖了一间间的教堂、医院、育幼院。

5 embezzle   

vt.贪污，盗用；挪用(公款；公物等)

参考例句：

• I suppose they embezzle a lot.我想他们贪污了不少。
• The cashier embezzled $50,000 from the bank and ran away.银行的出纳盗用了五万美元，并且逃跑了。

6 coerced   

v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 adoptions   

n.采用，收养( adoption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Adoption agencies are always so open to alternative family adoptions. 领养中介机构永远都对领养家庭敞开。 来自电影对白
• The number of adoptions has grown in the past year. 去年，收养子女的数字增加了。 来自互联网

8 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

11 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

12 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