英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker.docx
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英语高级视听说下册unit5TheShipBreaker.docx
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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.
Theworkersonshipsnearbyarecheering.TheBata'sarrivalmeansmorework,morewagesforthem.Thei
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