用英语写一篇关于童工

ChildSlaveLaborinChinabyMeganGrauMay2005TheInternationalLaborOrganization(ILO)hasestimatedthatofthe250millionchildrenbetweentheagesoffiveandfourteenworkindevelopingcountries,61percentareinAsia.Althoughweliveinanextremelymodernage,thereis,infact,childslavelaborpresentinChina.Someofthesechildrenworkinsweatshops.Asweatshopisaworkplacewhereworkersaresubjectedtoextremeexploitation,includingthelackofalivingwagesorbenefits,pooranddangerousworkingconditions,andharshandunnecessarydiscipline,suchasverbalandphysicalabuse.Sweatshopworkersarepaidlessthantheirdailyexpenses,thustheyareneverabletosaveanymoneytoinvestintheirfutures.Theyaretrappedinanever-endingcycle(Embar,pars.2-5).TheexactnumberofchildlaborsworkinginChinaisstillunknown.China'srepressivepoliticalsystemdoesnotallowthisinformationacquireddirectlyfromChina,therearenoChinesenon-governmentalorganizations(NGOs)activeinthisarea,andforeignNGOsdonothaveaccess.Therefore,itisimpossibletojudgehowstrictlytheChineseGovernmentenforceschildlaborlawsortodeterminetheeffortsofnon-governmentalorganizationstoaddresschildlaborinChina(China,par.1).MostChina-watchersconcludethatchildlaborisincreasing,particularlyinareasaroundHongKong.Thisdeductionisbasedonahighdropoutratefromschoolandthehastyexpansionofforeigninvestmentinexport-orientedenterprises.Thereisindeedincreasingevidencethatschoolchildrenarepartoftherequiredworkforce.Also,anofficialfromtheChineseMinistryofLaborconfessedthattheemploymentofchildrenwasextremelyseriousinChina.AlthoughnospecificChineseindustryisidentifiableasasignificantviolatorofchildlaborregulations,theyinvolvearangeofexportindustriesincludinggarmentsandtextiles,fireworks,andtoys(China,pars.2-3).TheChineseMinistryofLaboradmittedthatthechildlaborsituationwasveryseriousthroughoutthecountry.Itstatedthatexploitingchildlaborershasbecomeacommonoccurrence.Insomecoastalareasandparticulareconomiczones,suchasFujianandGuangdong,aswellasZhejiang,Sichuan,andHubei,therearereportedtobeapproximatelyfourtofivemillion-childlaborersundertheageof16.Childlaborersunder12yearsofagearealsofoundinWhenzhouandinsomeareasofGuangdongandHainan.Thechildrenusuallywork10to14hoursadaywithhalfthewagesofanadult.MuchoftheproofthatchildlaborexistsinChinaistakenfromdatafromthelargeeconomiczoneofShenzhen.Childrenbetweentheagesof10to16areworkingupto14hoursadayinfactoriesinShenzhen.Itwasalsorecordedthatgirlsworkinawfulconditionsfor13to14hoursadayfrom7a.m.-10p.m.withtwoone-hourbreaks.TheChinaYouthNewssaidthat44ofthe206foreign-ownedcompaniesorjointventuresinShenzhenemploychildrenlessthan16yearsofage(China,pars.4-5).TheUnitedStatesimportsofpyrotechnicsandexplosivesfromChinaisapproaching$1billion.Childrenareworkinginthefireworksindustry.ArecentreportdescribedanexplosionatafireworksfactoryinHebeithatkilledonechildandinjured34schoolgirlsrangingfrom11to13yearsofage.Investigatorsfoundthattheschoolchildrenhadbeenforcedbytheirteacherstoworkforslavewagesmakingfirecrackers.Thechildrenwerepromised20fen,2cents,formakingonelongbraidoffirecrackers,butinrealitywerepaidthreefen,0.3cents.InMarch2001,42people,mostofthemthirdandfourth-graders,werekilledinanexplosionataschool.TheschoolblowupbecausetheChineseuseyoungstudentstomakefireworksinordertokeepthepricelowerthantheircompetitors.Theyoungerstudentsarerequiredtoassembleatleast1,000fireworksadaywhiletheolderchildren,fifth-graders,arerequiredtomaketentimesthatmany(Farah).NewspaperandjournalreportsindicatethatchildrenarealsoworkinginthegarmentandtextileindustriesofChina.ImportsofapparelandtextilesfromChinatotheU.S.marketarereachingbeyond$4.5billioneachyear.ItwasreportedthatChina'snumberonetextilefirmatQingpuemployschildrenaged12to15yearsoldthatrecruitedwerefromtheneighboringprovinceofAnhui.InChungsanCity,aforeigntextileenterpriseemployedabout160childlaborersanda14yearoldwaskilledafterherhairbecametangledinhermachine.Journalistsalsofound12year-oldchildrensleepingtwotothreeinabedindormsandworking15hoursadayfor$10permonth(Lindsay).TheInternationalChildLaborStudystaffalsoreceivednumerousclaimsoftheuseofchildlaborintoy,sportingequipment,andgamefactories.TheUnitedStatesimportsapproximately$4billionworthoftoys,games,andsportinggoodsfromChinaeveryyear.ABusinessWeekarticlereportedthat,inordertomeettheholidaydemandfortoys,girlsataplantwereorderedtoworkoneortwo24-hourshiftseachmonth.TheaverageNorthAmericantoymakerearns$11anhour.InChina,toyworkersearnanaverageof30centsanhour.Theenforcementofchildlaborlawsissometimesmadedifficultbycounterfeitidentificationcards.SoutheasternChinaworkersreportedtheuseofcounterfeitIDsisfairlycommon.Someworkersadmittedthattheywerethreeorfouryearsyoungerthanthe16yearscertifiedontheirIDcards.TheInternationalLaborOrganizationreportsthatcompulsoryeducationinChinaisrequireduptoage16,yetchildrenarereportedtobedroppingoutofschoolatincreasingrates.AccordingtotheU.S.StateDepartment,Chinesepressreportsindicatethatdropoutratesforlowersecondaryschools(ages12to15)exceedninepercentinseveralsouthernprovinces,whereasthenationalaverageis2.2percent.Anincreasinggroupofchildrenleavingschoolbelowthelegalworkagesuggeststhepossibilityofagrowingchildlaborproblem(China,pars.10-12).Slavelaborexistsinourworldtoday.ItisnotsomefaroffproblemthatthepeopleofAmericacandonothingabout.Americansmusteducationthemselvesontheissueandlearnhowtomakeadifference.Thesechildrenareinneedofhelp.