VOA常速英语2019--女孩之殇：VOA看童婚

Worth of a Girl: VOA Looks at Devastating¹ Effects of Child Marriage

Eleven-year-old Bubboguy went from selling firewood and paper to becoming a wife, so she could settle her mother’s debt.

11岁的布博古伊以前靠卖火柴和纸为生，现在已嫁为人妻，只有这样她才能还清母亲的债务。 

I was crying. I wanted someone to help but we had no choice. The lenders were pressing hard.

我哭个不停。我想求助但我别无选择，放贷的人步步紧逼。 

More than twelve million underage girls like her get married every year according to UNICEF.

根据联合国儿童基金会的数据，每年有1200多万像她这样的未成年女孩结婚。 

I had not begun menstruating when I married.I started in my husband’s house.

我结婚时还没有开始月经。第一次是在我丈夫家来的。 

Some girls entering into early marriages are under pressure to continue cultural traditions.Others say they had limited options.

一些早婚的女孩面临着遵循文化传统的压力。还有一些女孩表示他们的选择有限。 

I married my daughter off because we had no place to live.Where could I keep her?If I was in a house with her, if I had my own house like now, of course I would have sent her to school.She would not have needed to marry at eleven twelve or thirteen.She could have been educated, found a job or learned a trade.

我把女儿嫁出去是因为我们没有地方住。我在哪里养她呢？如果我和她有房子住，如果我当时有像现在这样的自己的房子，我当然会选择送她去上学。她不需要在十一、十二或十三岁的时候就结婚。她本来可以接受教育、找工作或学做生意。

Early marriages happen across societies in the U.S.Most states permit marriage before eighteen if the individuals meet certain criteria².However, critics say many of these marriages take place to circumvent³ statutory rape⁴ laws that protect minors⁵.

童婚发生在美国的各个社会群体中。大多数州都允许满足一定条件的青少年在18岁之前结婚。然而，批评人士说，很多这样的婚姻都是为了逃避保护未成年人的强奸法。

I met him about when I was like 13, 14, so one thing after another, after a few years we just kind of ended up together.I got pregnant underage and that was kind of what…how does go ahead and get married, so I wouldn’t send him to jail.

我是在13、14岁的时候认识他的，我们之间发生了很多事情，几年后我们就结婚了。我是个未成年人，还怀孕了，这就是我为什么会结婚，我也不想把他送进监狱。

The young wives are more likely to leave school, experience domestic abuse and live in poverty, compared to those who marry later according to human rights activists⁶.

人权活动人士表示，与那些结婚较晚的女孩相比，年轻的妻子更容易辍学、遭受家暴和生活贫困。 

I lost my childhood.I loved school and going to school.But they wouldn’t let me.

我失去了童年。我喜欢学校，喜欢上学。但他们不让我去。 

As governments face international pressure to take action, individuals and groups are stepping forward to help young girls.

在各国政府面临国际压力而采取行动之际，个人和团体正在努力帮助这些年轻女孩。 

The night before the wedding, a local official came to our house to ask whether I wanted to marry.When I said no, he halted the ceremony.

婚礼前一天晚上，一位当地官员来我家问我是不是真的想结婚。我说不想，然后他中止了婚礼。 

Sultan Tumandar found joy in her married life despite being forced into the union.

虽然苏丹·图曼德也是被迫结婚，但她在婚姻生活中找到了幸福。 

I had never met my husband. I didn’t know him.With time we got to know each other.I’m very happy now, thank goodness.

那时，我从未见过我丈夫。我不认识他。随着时间的推移，我们互相了解了。我现在很幸福，谢天谢地。

But the case was different from many of the child brides VOA met over the course of this project.

但VOA在采访过程中遇见的很多童妻都有着与苏丹·图曼德完全不同的遭遇。 

Now divorced or deserted⁷, they are angry at losing their education.

一些童妻已经离婚或被抛弃，她们对错过教育机会而感到愤怒。 

I think if I had only continued my studies, I would not have to experience so much harassment⁸ from other people, now I could have found a good job.

我想如果我继续学习，我就不会遭受别人的骚扰，可能现在我还可以找到一份好工作了。 

Now mothers themselves they say they regret their stolen childhoods and add they never want to see their children married young.

现在，母亲们表示，她们很后悔失去了童年，并补充说，她们永远也不想看到自己的孩子过早结婚。

I am now fighting for my children, so they don’t end up like me.Someone has to fight for them.

现在，我在为我的孩子们抗争，不让她们走上我的老路。必须有人为她们发声。 

The United Nations is trying to eliminate the practice by 2030.

联合国表示，努力在2030年前消除童婚。 

1 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

2 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

3 circumvent   

vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜

参考例句：

• Military planners tried to circumvent the treaty.军事策略家们企图绕开这一条约。
• Any action I took to circumvent his scheme was justified.我为斗赢他的如意算盘而采取的任何行动都是正当的。

4 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

5 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。