Telemarketing

By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: October 13, 2003

This is Robert Covent with the Special English Development Report.
People who sell goods and services over the telephone are called 1)telemarketers. India, the Philippines, China and South Africa are among countries where telemarketing is a growing industry. Others, such as 2)Mauritius, want to enter the business.
This should not be difficult for countries with the technology and interest. Many international companies have started to move their call center jobs to nations where the wages are lower. People may have no idea if a call center worker is on the other side of the world.
Most call centers are used not only for telemarketing. Workers also help customers. They collect information for companies. And they handle claims and record keeping. In fact, India's call center industry has been described as “the back office of the world.” About seventy companies there do telemarketing for American businesses.
Some experts estimate² that more than two-hundred-fifty-thousand telemarketing jobs have already moved out of the United States. These and other jobs in the services industry are expected to continue to leave the country.
The Forrester Research group expects more than three-million jobs in the services industry to move within the next fifteen years. It says they will go to countries like India, Russia, China and the Philippines. As a result, the company says, the United States will lose more than one-hundred-thirty-thousand-million dollars in wages.
This amount could increase depending on how a legal battle over a national “do not call” list is settled. More than fifty-million Americans have signed on to a new government list to prevent phone calls from telemarketers. These calls often interfere³ with family time or dinner. President Bush supports the do-not-call list, which took effect this month. Telemarketers could face large fines for 3)violations, though some kinds of calls are still permitted.
The industry says the list violates⁵ the right to free speech. In addition, lawmakers who represent areas with call centers worry about the loss of jobs. The fear is that more American call centers will close or move overseas if the list is enforced⁷.
Last week, an appeals court ruled that the government may continue to enforce⁶ the do-not-call list for now at least. A final ruling could come from 4)the United States Supreme⁸ Court.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. This is Robert Covent.

注释：
1) telemarketer [5telimB:kite] n.电话销售员, 电话推销员
2) Mauritius [mE5riFEs] n.毛里求斯(非洲岛国)
3) violation⁴ [7vaiE5leiFEn] n.违反, 违背, 妨碍, 侵害, 违例
4) the United States Supreme Court 美国最高法院

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 estimate   

n.估计，估量；评价，看法；vt.估计，估量

参考例句：

• We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.我们估计费用为5000美元。
• The lowest estimate would put the worth of the jewel at ＄200.按最低的评估这块宝石也值200美元。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 violates   

亵渎( violate的第三人称单数 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Anyone who violates law and discipline must firmly be slapped down. 对于任何违法乱纪的人都必须坚决予以打击。
• The country violates the international agreements. 那个国家违背了国际协议。

6 enforce   

vt.实施，执行；强制，强迫；加强，坚持

参考例句：

• You have no right to enforce your own views on me.你无权把你自己的观点强加给我。
• They tried to enforce agreement with their plans.他们企图迫使人们同意他们的计划。

7 enforced   

n.强迫的v.实施( enforce的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；强迫；强制执行

参考例句：

• a period of enforced absence 不得不离开的一段时间
• This reform must be enforced. 此项改革势在必行。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。