VOA标准英语2008年-Australia Opens Sanctuary for Trafficked Women

The Salvation¹ Army has opened Australia's first safe house for victims of human trafficking. The charity estimates that more than 1,000 people are brought to Australia each year as modern day slaves, to work in industries such as agriculture or in the sex trade. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

The location of the Salvation Army refuge in central Sydney remains² confidential³, to protect its residents.

It provides a safe haven⁴ for women who were tricked into traveling to Australia and forced into servitude.

The first shelter of its kind in Australia can house 10 women.

Most are from Asia and are afraid to speak publicly about their experiences. Charities say they have been forced to work in the sex industry, as cleaners or maids and also in agriculture and manufacturing.

All were either coerced⁵ or lured⁶ into traveling to Australia with a promise of a good job and a better life.

Many are from China, South Korea and Thailand, although others have come from India and Eastern Europe.

Sister Margaret, a Catholic nun⁷ working with the Salvation Army, says the women are victims of a flourishing trade.

"I mean you would have thought during the days of slavery from Africa and things like that. But to think about it in Australia, I can't imagine it, and it's really horrendous⁸ to think that Australians are perpetrators in a way because there is a demand. So when there is a demand the people who are making money out of this will bring them," she said.

Charities have called on the Australian government do more to stop the traffickers.

This week cabinet members met in Canberra to consider the problem.

The minister for home affairs, Bob Debus, is confident the vulnerable will be protected.

"It's a shocking thing, isn't it, that we have to be talking in effect about slavery at the present day and age," he noted⁹. "I guess Australia can consider itself a bit lucky that we have fewer victims of this iniquitous¹⁰ traffic than many other countries. Nevertheless, we've identified 100 victims in fairly recent times and 34 people have
actually been charged with trafficking offences."

The government acknowledges that it needs to find better ways to look after victims, so that authorities can catch the traffickers.

The United Nations says the trade in people has become an industry worth $29 billion. It estimates that two million people are trafficked around the world each year.

　

 

1 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

4 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

5 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》

6 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

7 nun   

n.修女，尼姑

参考例句：

• I can't believe that the famous singer has become a nun.我无法相信那个著名的歌星已做了修女。
• She shaved her head and became a nun.她削发为尼。

8 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 iniquitous   

adj.不公正的；邪恶的；高得出奇的

参考例句：

• Many historians,of course,regard this as iniquitous.当然，许多历史学家认为这是极不公正的。
• Men of feeling may at any moment be killed outright by the iniquitous and the callous.多愁善感的人会立即被罪恶的人和无情的人彻底消灭。