英语高级视听说下册unit-5-The-Ship-Breaker

1、Weallknowhowshipsareborn,howmajesticvesselsarenudgedintotheoceanwithabottleofchampagne.Butfewofusknowhowtheydie.Andhundredsofshipsmeettheirdeatheveryyear.Fromfive-staroceanliners,togrubbyfreighters,literallydumpedwithalltheirsteel,theirasbestos,theirtoxinsonthebeachesofsomethepoorestcountriesinthewo

2、rld,countrieslikeBangladesh.Youcan'treallybelievehowbaditishere,untilyouseeit.Itcouldbeascloseasyou'llgettohellonearth,withthesmoke,thefumes,andtheheat.Themenwholaborherearethewretchedoftheearth,doingdirty,dangerouswork,forlittlemorethan$1aday.It'snotmuchofafinalrestingplace,thisdesolate

3、beachnearthecityofChittagongontheBayofBengal.Shipsarelineduphereasatanyport,butthey'llneverleave.Instead,theywillbedissected,boltbybolt,rivetbyrivet,everypieceofmetaldestinedforthefurnacestobemelteddownandfashionedintosteelrods.Theshipsdon'tdieeasily-theyarebuilttofloat,nottoberippedapart,sp

4、illingtoxins,oilandsludgeintothesurroundingseas.Themenwhoworkherearedwarfedbytheshipstheyaredestroying.Andtheydissecttheshipsbyhand.Themostsophisticatedtechnologyonthebeachisablowtorch.Themencarrymetalplates,eachweighingmorethanatonfromtheshorelinetowaitingtrucks,walkinginsteplikepallbearers,orlikem

5、embersofachaingang.Theypaintimagesofwheretheywouldliketobeonthetrucks-picturesofparadisefarfromthiswasteland.Andwhennightfalls,theworkcontinuesandthebeachbecomesaninfernoofsmokeandflamesandfilth.Thisindustry,whichemploysthousandsandsuppliesBangladeshwithalmostallitssteel,beganwithanaccident-acyclone

6、tobeprecise.In1965,aviolentstormleftagiantcargoshipbeachedonwhatwasthenapristinecoastline.Itdidn'ttakelongbeforepeoplebeganrippingtheshipapart.Theytookeverythingandbusinessmentooknote-perhapstheydidn'tneedastormtobringshipsontothisbeachhere.MohammedMohsin'sfamilyhasbecomeextremelywealthy

7、bringingshipsontothesebeaches.Hepaysmillionsofdollarsforeachshipandmakeshisprofitfromthesteelhesells.ThenameofhiscompanyisPHP,whichstandsforPeace,HappinessandProsperity.Hislatestacquisitionisashipweighinginat4,000tonsbutMohsintellsSimonthat'ssmallbycomparisontoothervesselsthathavebeenguttedonthe

8、beaches.Theyhavehandledshipsaslargeas68,000tons.ThisthefirsttimeMohsinhasseenthe4,000tonshipcloseup.Infactbuyingashipisnotatalllikebuyingacar.Hedidn'tevenneedtoseeapicturebeforeheboughtitfor$14million.Allheneededtoknowwasitsweightandhowmuchtheownerswerechargingforeachtonofsteel.Oneofthesinglemos

9、tvaluablepartsoftheshipisthepropeller.The"small"shipspropelleriswortharound$35,000alone,Mohsinestimates.ItmaybeasmallshiptoMohsin,butgettingontoitfromthebeachisstillabitdelicate.Mohsin'sshipsdon'thaveseafaringcaptainsanymore-heisthecaptainnowofdyingshipsandthecaptainofoneofthelarge

10、stof30shipyardsonthis10-milestretchofbeach.Some100shipsarerippedapartonthebeacheachyear,mostofthemfromthewest."Itisthewest'sgarbagedump,"saysRolandBuerk,wholivesinBangladesh.Hespentayearintheseyards,writingabookabouttheindustry.60MinuteshiredhimtoguideSimonthroughthetangledworldofshipb

11、reaking.TodothesameworkinAmericaorEnglandwouldbeveryexpensive."ItwouldbebecauseinEuropeandAmericawhentheydothis,theydoitindrydocks,"Buerkexplains."Soinactualfact,theownersoftheseshipsaresellingthemtotheyardownersheretobreakup.IftheyhadtodoitinAmerica,they'dhavetopayforthatprocesst

12、obecarriedout.Soyouseeitmakesrealeconomicsensetodoithere.""Soold,out-datedshipsthatwerepreviouslyaliability,arenowanasset,"Simonremarks."Exactly,"Buerkagrees."Andthat'swhytheyendupontheseshores."Theyaretheshoresofthemostdenselypopulatednationandoneofthepoorestn

13、ationsintheworld.Bangladeshdesperatelyneedssteelforconstructionbuthasnoironoremines.Theshipbreakingyardsareitsmines,providing80percentofthenation'ssteel.Butsteelisonlypartofthedeal;therearesomanythingsonashipwhicharesoldoff.Itisinfactagiganticrecyclingoperation.Youcanfindeverything,includingkitc

14、hensinks,atasprawlingroadsidemarketwhichgoesonformiles.Whenyou'redrivingdownthisroad,it'snotaproblemifyouneedatoiletoralifeboatoralightbulb.Itisestimatedthat97percentoftheship'scontentsarerecycled.Theotherthreepercent,thestuffnobodywouldbuy,includingthehazardouswaste,asbestos,arsenicandm

15、ercury,areleftbehindtofoulthebeaches."Andwhatwe'relookingat,whichisarecyclingoperation,isalsoanenvironmentaldisaster,"Simonsays."That'strue.AndIthinkthisisreallycapitalismasredintoothandclawasitgets.Atthemomentthisiswhatmakesfinancialsenseforeverybody.Andthisis,despitethefactt

16、hatwemightnotlikeit,anditdoesn'tlookpretty,thisishowit'sdone,"Buerksays.Theworkerstoilintoughconditions.Theyhavenounions,nosafetyequipment,andnotraining.About50aresaidtodieinaccidentseachyear;ofteninexplosionssetoffbyblowtorchesdeepinsidethefume-filledholds.Youseecasualtiesintheyards,me

17、nwhowereinjuredherebuthavenomoneytogoanywhereelse.Theworkersarehousedinbarrackswithnobeds,juststeelplatesscavengedfromtheshipstheybreak.Manyoftheworkersarenotoldenoughtogrowabeard.Someare,quitesimply,children.60Minutesspoketoseveralwhosaidtheywere14andhadbeenworkingherefortwoyears.Sowhatdoesthemanfr

18、omPeaceHappinessandProsperitysayaboutthat?Askedifthereareanychildrenworkinginhisyard,Mohsinsays,"Notmyyard.""Well,wetalkedtoseveralchildren,"SimontellsMohsin."Wefoundacouplewhowere14andsaidthey'dbeenworkingthereforacoupleofyears.""Theyare-iftheyareworking-ifthe

19、ydon'twork,whatthey'lldo,then?Ourgovernmentcannotaffordit.Theirfood,shelterandclothinghastobeprovidedbysomeonewhethertheirparentsorthegovernment.Noneofthemcanaffordit.Sowhattheygonnado?"Mohsinargues."So,yousaythatchildlaborisinevitable,necessaryinBangladesh?"Simonasks."If

20、theydon'tworkinship-breakingyard,they'llworksomewhereelse.Theyhaveto,"Mohsinreplies.Butchildlaborisonlyoneoftheissues.Environmentalistshavebeendoingbattlewiththeindustryforyears.Theysaythewesthasnobusinessdumpingitstoxicwasteonimpoverishedlandsintheeast.Theycondemntheappallingworkcondit

21、ions,thelowpay,andthelackofaccountabilityforworkerswhoarekilledorinjured.Theirmostimportantproposal:thatshipsbecleanedoftheirtoxicmaterialsinthewest,beforetheysailtoBangladesh.That'sinlinewithaninternationalbanwhichprohibitstheshipmentofhazardouswastefromrichcountriestopoorercountries.RezwanaHas

22、anoftheBangladeshiEnvironmentalLawyersAssociationisintheforefrontofthebattleagainsttheindustry.ShesaystheshipbreakingyardsinBangladeshdon'trespecteventhemostminimalenvironmentalstandards."Andanindustrythatcan'tcomplywiththeseminimumstandardsmustnotoperate,"sheargues."Imeanifyo

23、ucan'tcomplywiththe-ifyoucan'tpayyourworkertheminimumwage,youcan'toperate.Youcan't-ifyoucan'tensuretheminimumenvironmentalsafeguardyoushouldn'toperate."Buttheownersoftheyardsarguethatenvironmentalismisaluxury,reservedfortherichnations."Itbecomesquiteexpensive,whichw

24、ecan'tafford,"Mohsinclaims."Ifalltherulesandregulations,alltheinternationalconventionsregardingshipbreakingwereobservedhere,wouldtheindustrybeabletosurvive?"SimonasksMohsin,"No,"hereplies."Itwouldbestoppedfromtomorrow.It'llstop.Hastobestopped."Andthat,hesay

25、s,wouldput30,000menoutofworkanddepriveBangladeshofitssourceofsteel.ButfornowtheshipbreakingindustryinBangladeshissailingfullsteamahead.Literally.60MinutesboardedaRussianfishingtrawler,theBata,inthefinalhoursofitslastvoyage.Itwaseeriewalkingthroughthecorridors.Thelightswereonbutnobodywashome.Itwasade

26、adshipsailing.Inasailor'scabin,thesheetswereonthebed,aradioandaflashlightwereonthetable.Inthekitchen,therewerepotsfilledwithborschtandpotatoesthatwerebarelycold.InthediningroomtherewerestillRussianbooksonatable.TheytoowillendupinthemarketonthatdustyroadtoChittagong.Therewasjustaskeletoncrewonthi

27、sskeletonshipUponthebridge,CaptainEdwaardPetenkoalreadyseemeddressedupforhiscomingvacation.HehadbroughttheshipallthewayfromVladivostokanddidn'tenjoythetrip.Askedwhatitfeelsliketakingtheshiptothebeach,PetenkotellsSimon,"Nolike.""Nolike.Sometimesevencry.Because"Capt.Petenkosays.Hewasn'teveninchargeanymore.Thebatonhadpassedtothebeachingcaptain,EnamChowdrey.Hehaddonethis700times.They