VOA慢速英语2016 南亚将增加服装工厂工作机会（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-05-15 Clothing Factory Jobs Could Increase in South Asia 南亚将增加服装工厂工作机会

A new World Bank study says South Asian countries can improve economic conditions and provide millions of jobs for women by increasing the number of clothing factories.

世界银行一项新的研究称，南亚国家可以通过增加服装工厂数量的方式来改善经济环境，并为女性提供数百万工作机会。

The cost to make clothing in China is rising. Factories in other countries can make clothes for a lower cost.

在中国制造服装的成本上升了。其他国家的工厂可以用较低的成本来生产服装。

The bank says countries like Vietnam and Cambodia are increasing clothing manufacturing jobs faster than South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

世界银行称，像越南和柬埔寨这样的国家，因为服装制造业而增加的工作机会要比像印度、孟加拉国、巴基斯坦和斯里兰卡多一些。

But the study says lower costs and an increasing number of young workers give South Asian countries the chance to compete. Clothing manufacturing is a labor-intensive industry needing many workers.

但是该研究也说，低成本和越来越多的年轻劳动力给了南亚国家竞争的机会。服装制造业是一项劳动密集型产业，需要很多工人。

These jobs are important for an area where few women work outside the home. The share of women who are employed in clothing factories is much higher than in other industries.

这些工作对很少有女性出门工作的地方来说是很重要的。服装工厂中女工的比例比其他行业高多了。

In Sri Lanka, about two-thirds of clothing factory workers are women. In India and Bangladesh, about one-third are.

在斯里兰卡，服装工厂中大约有三分之二的工人都是女工。在印度和孟加拉国，这个比例大约是三分之一。

Onno Ruhl is the World Bank country director in India. He said the number of women working in the country has been dropping over the last 10 to 15 years. “It is a trend we would really like to see reversed in India,” he said.

昂诺·鲁尔是世界银行驻印度负责人。他说在该国有工作的女性在过去的10到15年里减少了。“我们很高兴看到这种趋势能够在印度得以扭转。”他说。

The World Bank study found that in countries where more girls and women work, marriages take place later in life. Women have fewer children. They eat better food and their children are more likely to go to school. All these help an economy grow.

世界银行的研究还发现，有更多女童、女性工作的国家，结婚往往也要晚一些。这样女性就可以少生一些孩子。人们可以吃得好一些，儿童上学的机会也更多。这些都有助于一国经济增长。

Wages are an important issue for the clothing manufacturing industry. Workers in Bangladesh are paid about 50 cents an hour while Indian workers are paid more than one dollar. That is much less than the amount workers in China are paid -- about $2.50 an hour.

工资是服装制造业的一个重要问题。孟加拉国工人每小时可以挣50美分，而印度工人可以挣一美元多一点。这比中国工人的时薪——约2.5美元要少多了。

Clothing manufacturing jobs can improve the lives of women. But working conditions in the industry are of great concern and are being watched by groups around the world.

服装制造业可以改善女性的生活。但是该行业的工作条件非常令人担忧，受到全世界各个组织的观察。

Conditions in the industry were recognized as a major issue in 2013, when an eight-story building in Bangladesh collapsed. More than 1,100 clothing workers died. The collapse increased attention on dangerous working conditions in the industry.

服装行业的工作条件在2013年被看作是重大问题，当时在孟加拉国有一幢八层楼高的建筑倒塌了。事故导致超过1100名服装工人丧生。这次事故让人们更多地关注该行业危险的工作条件。

About five million people work in the industry according to the World Bank study, which is called “Stitches to Riches? Apparel Employment, Trade, and Economic Development in South Asia.” Several million more work informally in smaller factories or businesses that may not be known to government officials or inspectors.

世界银行研究显示从事服装生产行业的约有500万人，世界银行在题为《踩缝纫机能致富？——南亚地区服装行业的就业、贸易和经济发展》的研究报告中写道，还有几百万人在可能不为政府官员和监管机构所知的小工厂、小作坊里从事着不正规的工作。

The study says clothing manufacturing can be a valuable industry for development. But it also says there is a need for industry supervision, better wages and higher-value products.

该报告称，服装制造业可以成为很有发展价值的产业。但是报告中亦称，为了更高的工资和更高质量的产品，这个产业需要进行监管。

Words in This Story

reverse – v. to change to the opposite direction

stitches – n. thread used to connect two pieces of cloth

apparel – n. clothing