英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker.docx

英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker.docx

《英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker.docx（5页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker

Weallknowhowshipsareborn,howmajesticvesselsarenudgedintotheoceanwithabottleofchampagne.Butfewofusknowhowtheydie.Andhundredsofshipsmeettheirdeatheveryyear.Fromfive-staroceanliners,togrubbyfreighters,literallydumpedwithalltheirsteel,theirasbestos,theirtoxinsonthebeachesofsomethepoorestcountriesintheworld,countrieslikeBangladesh.

Youcan'treallybelievehowbaditishere,untilyouseeit.Itcouldbeascloseasyou'llgettohellonearth,withthesmoke,thefumes,andtheheat.Themenwholaborherearethewretchedoftheearth,doingdirty,dangerouswork,forlittlemorethan$1aday.

It'snotmuchofafinalrestingplace,thisdesolatebeachnearthecityofChittagongontheBayofBengal.Shipsarelineduphereasatanyport,butthey'llneverleave.Instead,theywillbedissected,boltbybolt,rivetbyrivet,everypieceofmetaldestinedforthefurnacestobemelteddownandfashionedintosteelrods.Theshipsdon'tdieeasily-theyarebuilttofloat,nottoberippedapart,spillingtoxins,oilandsludgeintothesurroundingseas.

Themenwhoworkherearedwarfedbytheshipstheyaredestroying.Andtheydissecttheshipsbyhand.Themostsophisticatedtechnologyonthebeachisablowtorch.Themencarrymetalplates,eachweighingmorethanatonfromtheshorelinetowaitingtrucks,walkinginsteplikepallbearers,orlikemembersofachaingang.Theypaintimagesofwheretheywouldliketobeonthetrucks-picturesofparadisefarfromthiswasteland.

Andwhennightfalls,theworkcontinuesandthebeachbecomesaninfernoofsmokeandflamesandfilth.

Thisindustry,whichemploysthousandsandsuppliesBangladeshwithalmostallitssteel,beganwithanaccident-acyclonetobeprecise.In1965,aviolentstormleftagiantcargoshipbeachedonwhatwasthenapristinecoastline.Itdidn'ttakelongbeforepeoplebeganrippingtheshipapart.Theytookeverythingandbusinessmentooknote-perhapstheydidn'tneedastormtobringshipsontothisbeachhere.

MohammedMohsin'sfamilyhasbecomeextremelywealthybringingshipsontothesebeaches.Hepaysmillionsofdollarsforeachshipandmakeshisprofitfromthesteelhesells.ThenameofhiscompanyisPHP,whichstandsforPeace,HappinessandProsperity.

Hislatestacquisitionisashipweighinginat4,000tonsbutMohsintellsSimonthat'ssmallbycomparisontoothervesselsthathavebeenguttedonthebeaches.Theyhavehandledshipsaslargeas68,000tons.

ThisthefirsttimeMohsinhasseenthe4,000tonshipcloseup.Infactbuyingashipisnotatalllikebuyingacar.Hedidn'tevenneedtoseeapicturebeforeheboughtitfor$14million.Allheneededtoknowwasitsweightandhowmuchtheownerswerechargingforeachtonofsteel.

Oneofthesinglemostvaluablepartsoftheshipisthepropeller.The"small"shipspropelleriswortharound$35,000alone,Mohsinestimates.

ItmaybeasmallshiptoMohsin,butgettingontoitfromthebeachisstillabitdelicate.

Mohsin'sshipsdon'thaveseafaringcaptainsanymore-heisthecaptainnowofdyingshipsandthecaptainofoneofthelargestof30shipyardsonthis10-milestretchofbeach.Some100shipsarerippedapartonthebeacheachyear,mostofthemfromthewest.

"Itisthewest'sgarbagedump,"saysRolandBuerk,wholivesinBangladesh.Hespentayearintheseyards,writingabookabouttheindustry.60MinuteshiredhimtoguideSimonthroughthetangledworldofshipbreaking.

TodothesameworkinAmericaorEnglandwouldbeveryexpensive.

"ItwouldbebecauseinEuropeandAmericawhentheydothis,theydoitindrydocks,"Buerkexplains."Soinactualfact,theownersoftheseshipsaresellingthemtotheyardownersheretobreakup.IftheyhadtodoitinAmerica,they'dhavetopayforthatprocesstobecarriedout.Soyouseeitmakesrealeconomicsensetodoithere."

"Soold,out-datedshipsthatwerepreviouslyaliability,arenowanasset,"Simonremarks.

"Exactly,"Buerkagrees."Andthat'swhytheyendupontheseshores."

Theyaretheshoresofthemostdenselypopulatednationandoneofthepoorestnationsintheworld.Bangladeshdesperatelyneedssteelforconstructionbuthasnoironoremines.Theshipbreakingyardsareitsmines,providing80percentofthenation'ssteel.

Butsteelisonlypartofthedeal;therearesomanythingsonashipwhicharesoldoff.Itisinfactagiganticrecyclingoperation.

Youcanfindeverything,includingkitchensinks,atasprawlingroadsidemarketwhichgoesonformiles.Whenyou'redrivingdownthisroad,it'snotaproblemifyouneedatoiletoralifeboatoralightbulb.Itisestimatedthat97percentoftheship'scontentsarerecycled.Theotherthreepercent,thestuffnobodywouldbuy,includingthehazardouswaste,asbestos,arsenicandmercury,areleftbehindtofoulthebeaches.

"Andwhatwe'relookingat,whichisarecyclingoperation,isalsoanenvironmentaldisaster,"Simonsays.

"That'strue.AndIthinkthisisreallycapitalismasredintoothandclawasitgets.Atthemomentthisiswhatmakesfinancialsenseforeverybody.Andthisis,despitethefactthatwemightnotlikeit,anditdoesn'tlookpretty,thisishowit'sdone,"Buerksays.

Theworkerstoilintoughconditions.Theyhavenounions,nosafetyequipment,andnotraining.About50aresaidtodieinaccidentseachyear;ofteninexplosionssetoffbyblowtorchesdeepinsidethefume-filledholds.

Youseecasualtiesintheyards,menwhowereinjuredherebuthavenomoneytogoanywhereelse.Theworkersarehousedinbarrackswithnobeds,juststeelplatesscavengedfromtheshipstheybreak.

Manyoftheworkersarenotoldenoughtogrowabeard.Someare,quitesimply,children.60Minutesspoketoseveralwhosaidtheywere14andhadbeenworkingherefortwoyears.

SowhatdoesthemanfromPeaceHappinessandProsperitysayaboutthat?

Askedifthereareanychildrenworkinginhisyard,Mohsinsays,"Notmyyard."

"Well,wetalkedtoseveralchildren,"SimontellsMohsin."Wefoundacouplewhowere14andsaidthey'dbeenworkingthereforacoupleofyears."

"Theyare-iftheyareworking-iftheydon'twork,whatthey'lldo,then?

Ourgovernmentcannotaffordit.Theirfood,shelterandclothinghastobeprovidedbysomeonewhethertheirparentsorthegovernment.Noneofthemcanaffordit.Sowhattheygonnado?

"Mohsinargues.

"So,yousaythatchildlaborisinevitable,necessaryinBangladesh?

"Simonasks.

"Iftheydon'tworkinship-breakingyard,they'llworksomewhereelse.Theyhaveto,"Mohsinreplies.

Butchildlaborisonlyoneoftheissues.Environmentalistshavebeendoingbattlewiththeindustryforyears.Theysaythewesthasnobusinessdumpingitstoxicwasteonimpoverishedlandsintheeast.Theycondemntheappallingworkconditions,thelowpay,andthelackofaccountabilityforworkerswhoarekilledorinjured.Theirmostimportantproposal:

thatshipsbecleanedoftheirtoxicmaterialsinthewest,beforetheysailtoBangladesh.

That'sinlinewithaninternationalbanwhichprohibitstheshipmentofhazardouswastefromrichcountriestopoorercountries.

RezwanaHasanoftheBangladeshiEnvironmentalLawyersAssociationisintheforefrontofthebattleagainsttheindustry.ShesaystheshipbreakingyardsinBangladeshdon'trespecteventhemostminimalenvironmentalstandards.

"Andanindustrythatcan'tcomplywiththeseminimumstandardsmustnotoperate,"sheargues."Imeanifyoucan'tcomplywiththe-ifyoucan'tpayyourworkertheminimumwage,youcan'toperate.Youcan't-ifyoucan'tensuretheminimumenvironmentalsafeguardyoushouldn'toperate."

Buttheownersoftheyardsarguethatenvironmentalismisaluxury,reservedfortherichnations.

"Itbecomesquiteexpensive,whichwecan'tafford,"Mohsinclaims.

"Ifalltherulesandregulations,alltheinternationalconventionsregardingshipbreakingwereobservedhere,wouldtheindustrybeabletosurvive?

"SimonasksMohsin,

"No,"hereplies."Itwouldbestoppedfromtomorrow.It'llstop.Hastobestopped."

Andthat,hesays,wouldput30,000menoutofworkanddepriveBangladeshofitssourceofsteel.

ButfornowtheshipbreakingindustryinBangladeshissailingfullsteamahead.Literally.60MinutesboardedaRussianfishingtrawler,theBata,inthefinalhoursofitslastvoyage.

Itwaseeriewalkingthroughthecorridors.Thelightswereonbutnobodywashome.Itwasadeadshipsailing.

Inasailor'scabin,thesheetswereonthebed,aradioandaflashlightwereonthetable.Inthekitchen,therewerepotsfilledwithborschtandpotatoesthatwerebarelycold.

InthediningroomtherewerestillRussianbooksonatable.TheytoowillendupinthemarketonthatdustyroadtoChittagong.Therewasjustaskeletoncrewonthisskeletonship

Uponthebridge,CaptainEdwaardPetenkoalreadyseemeddressedupforhiscomingvacation.HehadbroughttheshipallthewayfromVladivostokanddidn'tenjoythetrip.

Askedwhatitfeelsliketakingtheshiptothebeach,PetenkotellsSimon,"Nolike."

"Nolike.Sometimesevencry.Because…"Capt.Petenkosays.

Hewasn'teveninchargeanymore.Thebatonhadpassedtothebeachingcaptain,EnamChowdrey.Hehaddonethis700times.Theycallhimtheexecutioner.

Beachingashipisaverydelicateoperation.It'snotsimplyaimingforthebeach-Chowdreyhastocalculatethemovementofthetides,theswell,thewind,bytheminute.Inthisinstance,hehasgottowedgetheshipbetweentwoothervesselsalreadyparkedthere.

Theworkers