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For the love of children 关怀受虐儿，不可儿戏

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

It has been said that a society can be judged on how it cares for its most vulnerable members. In many cases, this means children. In an effort to foster a more humane world, the United Nations came up with the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. Therefore, in 1933, Taiwan revised its Children’s Welfare Law, which was first enacted in 1973.

有人说，要论定一个社会，端看它如何照料社群中最孱弱的成员。许多情况下所指的便是儿童。致力促进更人道世界的成形，联合国在1989年提出《儿童人权公约》。有鉴于此，台湾在1993年亦修订原立于1973年的《儿童福利法》。

While Taiwan is working hard to live up to the standards it has imposed, so far it has failed. This is in part because people are reluctant to report abuse. The Family Service Center in Taipei found that only 18 percent of child abuse cases involving children under five are reported. In Europe and the United States, the percentage is over 40.

尽管台湾努力遵循设下的标准，目前为止仍告失败。部份原因是人们不愿报案虐待一事。台北家庭服务中心发现，五岁以下儿童受虐的案件中，只有百分之18报案。在欧洲及美国，报案比例高过百分之40。

Child abuse falls into three categories: neglect, sexual abuse, and the most common, physical abuse. Besides the immediate bodily injuries and emotional pain that result from abuse, other long-term problems may develop. These include brain damage, learning disorders, low self-esteem, depression, and aggressive behavior.

儿童受虐分为三类：忽略、性虐待，及最常见的身体虐待（施暴）。除了立即遭受的生理创伤及虐待导致情绪上的痛苦，可能会出现其他长期的问题，包括脑损伤、学习障碍、缺乏自尊心、沮丧，及侵略性行为。

Child abuse is also at the root of problems such as low academic achievement, drug use, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, and adult crime. Because these are issues that are relevant to every member of society, child abuse is a problem that concerns all of us.

儿童受虐亦是一些问题的根源，诸如学业成绩低落、吸食毒品、青少年怀孕、青少年犯罪，及成人犯罪。这些议题跟社会中的每一份子息息相关，因此儿童受虐亦是我们所有人切身之问题。

Vocabulary

单词发音

vulnerable [ˋvʌlnərəb!] adj. 易受伤的

foster [ˋfɔstɚ] v. 培养，促进

humane [hjuˋmen] adj. 有人情味的；人道的

live up to  实践; 遵守  to carry out; fulfill

reluctant [rɪˋlʌktənt] adj. 不情愿的；勉强的

self-esteem [͵sɛlfəsˋtim] n. 自尊

juvenile [ˋdʒuvənaɪl] n. 青少年；孩子;  adj. 少年的

delinquency [dɪˋlɪŋkwənsɪ] n. 违法行为；少年犯罪

concern [kənˋsɝn] v. 涉及，关系到

Sentence of the Day

They were at her mercy.

他们任她宰割。

at one’s mercy ( =at the mercy of someone) 任由某人/某事物摆布或控制

课文讲解

Claire and Bernard, two high-school teachers, are discussing one of their students.  两名中学教师克莱儿和伯纳正在讨论他们其中一个学生。

C: I’m really worried about Linda Brown. She used to do so well, but now her grades have really slipped.

我真的很担心琳达伯朗。她过去表现优异，现在成绩却退步好多。

B: There could be a myriad of reasons for that. Have you approached her about it?

原因可能有千百种。妳跟她聊过吗？

C: No. What really gets me is how much she keeps to herself these days. She was so outgoing before.

没有。真正让我烦恼的是她最近有多么自我封闭。她以前是那么的外向。

B: Maybe she’s having problems at home. Her folks could be splitting up.

可能她家有什么问题吧。说不定她父母正闹分手。

C: I’m afraid that it may be much more serious than that. I’ve noticed bruises on her arms.

恐怕比那严重得多。我注意到她手臂上有瘀伤。

B: Oh, no. You mean you suspect someone is abusing her?

不会吧。妳的意思是，妳怀疑有人在虐待她喔？

C: I’m not sure. And I don’t have a clue about what to do.

我不确定。也毫无头绪，不知该从何下手。

B: As a teacher, if you suspect abuse, you’ve got to report it. The sooner, the better.

身为一个老师，要是妳怀疑有虐待情事，一定得报案。越快越好。

C: But what will happen to Linda?

可是琳达会有怎样的遭遇？

B: A social worker will be dispatched to her home. If child abuse is confirmed, Linda will be placed in protective custody.

他们会派一名社工人员到她家。若确定有虐待实情，琳达会被送去保护监管。

C: But where would she go? Who would she live with?

但她要何去何从？要跟谁同住？

B: Maybe with relatives. Or perhaps she’d be placed in a foster home.

也许跟亲戚吧。或者安排到寄养家庭。

C: I hate to say it, but I’m a bit reluctant to get involved in this.

我不愿这么说，但是，我有点不想涉入这件事。

B: You’ve got no choice but to get involved. How could you live with yourself otherwise?

妳别无选择。不然，妳要怎么能安心过日子？

－End

Vocabulary

单词发音

myriad [ˋmɪrɪəd] n. 无数，大量[（+of）]

keep to oneself 不与人来往 withhold information

folk [fok] n.【口】家属，亲属；双亲

split [splɪt] up 分离

bruise [bruz] n. 伤痕，青肿

clue [klu] n.（解决疑案，问题等的）线索，迹象

dispatch [dɪˋspætʃ] v. 派遣

foster [ˋfɔstɚ] home  抚养孤儿的家庭

foster-  前缀表示"收养的"，"领养的"

otherwise  [ˋʌðɚ͵waɪz] adv. 否则，不然

Sentence of the Day

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

无风不起浪。