VOA慢速英语 ：民间组织与非洲各国政府合作废除儿童婚姻 2014-06-03

Africa Launches Campaign to End Child Marriage

In most African countries, at least 30 percent of all girls are married before they reach age 18. Many of these girls become a man's wife against their will. The high number of young wives has led the African Union to launch a two-year campaign to end child marriage in Africa.

Parents in developing countries force 14-million girls below the age of 18 to get married each year. Most of these countries are in Africa.

Zenabu is a 16-year-old girl from Niger.

She says that she was taken out of school by her parents to get married. She says her husband beat her if she did not want him to touch her. She ran away to her parents, but they also beat her and returned her to her husband. She later ran away to another family member and now wants to return to school.

Girls married at a young age often develop mental disorders. They may also suffer other health problems because of an early pregnancy and are less likely to get an education. Most of the girls come from poorly educated families and rural areas where young women cannot oppose cultural traditions.

The African Union campaign to end child marriage is aimed at policy action and on raising understanding of the problem. Olawale Maiyegun is the director of the AU's Social Affairs Commission. He says AU member countries should follow and enforce laws and policies that protect children.

"The Charter on the Rights of the Child, for example, has clear provisions on harmful practices against the child. And it's clear in the provisions of the charter that cultural or religious or whatever should not be an excuse and that states must take measures to eliminate them. People use all sorts of excuses to perpetuate what they are doing, but it's not an excuse as far as the commission is concerned."

Among African countries, child marriage rates are highest in Niger and Chad. The rates there are above 70 percent. In Zambia, the rate is 42 percent. Ten government ministries are working together to bring that rate down.

Nkandu Luo is the Zambian Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.

"The reason we felt that the chiefs should be the ones is because it hinges on customary law and there's also a belief it has to do with our cultures. When any parent is reported to the chief, first of all they appear before the chief because there is the traditional court. So they appear before the traditional court, and they are charged according to the decision by the traditional court. But also they make sure they go and take that child out of marriage and put her back into school."

The End Child Marriage campaign is done in cooperation with African governments, civil society organizations and the United Nations Children's Fund.

词汇解析

launch

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.发起;推出(新产品);发射;使(船)下水

n.发射;产品推介

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

The company researched the market demand and decided to launch their new product.

这家公司调查了市场需求，决定推出新产品。

The people all over the country exulted in the success in launching a new satellite.

全国人民为成功地发射了一颗新的人造卫星而欢欣鼓舞。

用作名词 (n.)

We have got good media coverage for the launch of the new model.

传播媒介对我们的新型产品投放市场作了有利的报导。

marriage

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.结婚;婚姻;紧密结合

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

It was a pleasant surprise to learn of her marriage.

得知她结婚是件令人惊喜的事。

A lichen is a compound organism, a symbiotic marriage of fungus and algae.

青苔是一种复合有机体，是真菌和水藻的共生结合体。

mental

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.思想的;心理的;精神的;脑力的

n.精神病患者

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

It's clear that mental activity does not stop when we're asleep.

很显然,我们熟睡的时候,思想活动仍然不会停下来。

用作名词 (n.)

The hospital cares for some fifty mental patients.

这家医院照料五十名左右精神病患者。

rural

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.农村的，乡村的，田园的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The rural scenery was so beautiful that he decided to stay one more week.

乡村风光太美了，以致于他决定再多呆一星期。

In rural Nepal, owning a book is something many women and children only dream about.

在尼泊尔的乡下,拥有一本书是许多妇女儿童只能梦想的事情。

oppose

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.反对;对抗;使对立

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

It was courageous of him to oppose his chief.

他敢反对他的上司，真是勇敢。

We're firmly opposed to the practice of powerpolitics between nations.

我们强烈反对在国与国之间实行强权政治。

policy

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

n.政策;方针

n.保险单

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

This latest incident may be the lever needed to change government policy.

最近的事件或许可以作为迫使政府改变政策所需的手段。

It's the company's policy to sacrifice short-term profits for the sake of long-term growth.

为长期发展而牺牲短期利润是公司的方针。

enforce

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

vt.强迫;强制;实施;执行;加强

参考例句

用作及物动词 (vt.)

You can't enforce cooperation between the players.

队员间的配合并非强迫命令而成。

religious

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.宗教的;虔诚的;严谨的;信奉宗教的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Secular music refers to music which is not religious.

世俗音乐是指非宗教的音乐。

He was religious in his attendance at class.

他上课仔细听讲,毫不分心。