金融时报:血汗工厂不便宜

血汗工厂不便宜

孟加拉国服装厂倒塌事故造成数百工人死亡一事震惊了世界。英国服装公司Primark曾要求安全生产，也进行过厂房安全检查。但FT社论认为，这些还不够。如这次事故一样，孟加拉很多工厂的老板都是官员，他们可以轻易使法律监管形同虚设。而跨国公司有义务用种种方法迫使工厂不再忽视工人的安全和健康，血汗工厂可不便宜。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

the ruins of a Bangladesh garment factory 孟加拉国首都达卡郊区一栋八层高的服装厂大楼本周三(4.24)发生倒塌事故，目前已导致超过300人死亡。

Primark 一家以销售低价时尚服装著称的英国公司。发生事故的工厂就接这家公司的订单。

rife [raɪf] adj.普遍的，流行的

bristle with 充满，密集

ethical trader 有道德的商人

flout [flaʊt] n./vt./vi.嘲笑，轻视，愚弄

scanty ['skæntɪ] adj.仅有的，缺乏的

above the law 凌驾于法律之上

clout [klaʊt] n./v.影响力，势力

Bangladeshi factory workers pay the high cost of cheap clothing (413 words)

FT Editorial

What is a fair price for a T-shirt? The tragedy unfolding in the ruins of a Bangladesh garment factory, where at last count more than 220 people have died and scores more are missing, is a stark reminder that in a world where consumers demand ever lower prices, the cost of a bargain can be too high.

The disaster in Bangladesh was first and foremost the fault of the building’s owner. A local politician, he used his influence to circumvent building regulations in order to extend a complex rented out to factories making clothes for cut-price store brands such as Britain’s Primark. But the world’s big retailers, most of which have flocked to profit from Bangladesh’s low wages and poor working conditions, also share responsibility for choosing to operate in a country where such abuse is rife and, worse, tolerated.

It is no longer enough to claim that occasional factory inspections and contracts bristling with conditions entitle a retailer to the title of ethical trader. Primark has drawn praise from campaign groups and labour unions in recent years for such efforts. The reality on the ground is that all the inspection procedures in the world are pointless if laws are flouted.

Retailers will argue that it is not their job to enforce regulation. That is true. They should focus on developing long-term relationships with trusted factories, and help manufacturers to invest in desperately needed health and safety measures. But they should also use their economic muscle to press the government to do its job. Bangladesh’s political establishment is hostage to the garment industry, which accounts for more than three-quarters of the country’s exports. Many politicians are themselves clothes factory bosses and have little reason to want even existing scanty regulations on construction, health, safety and labour enforced.

The world’s clothing brands may be under pressure from rising raw material costs and price competition. But they cannot continue to sell garments that campaigners will argue have been manufactured at the cost of innocent lives. In the end, even Bangladesh’s cost benefits may be outweighed by reputational damage. Those who died at Rana Plaza were not the first and are unlikely to be the last victims of an industry that has operated above the law.

On Thursday, thousands of factory workers marched in protest to demand safer working conditions. Big western retailers have a moral obligation, and the clout, to lead that change.

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1.Who has the primary responsability for the tragedy, according to FT?

A. The local politician-factory building owner.

B. Britain’s Primark garment company.

C. Western consumers who welcome low prices.

D. Free market and free trade.

答案(1)

2.Which of the following is not a fact about Bangladesh?

A. It is a poor and underdeveloped country.

B. Its economy is famous for the garment industry.

C. In Europe, made-in-Bangladesh clothes are at lower prices.

D. Crony capitalism as a major reason why the laws are flouted.

答案(2)

3.What do we know about free trade?

A. It is important that different countries play by different rules.

B. Large corporations usually ignore corporate responsibilities.

C. Capital always seeks for low-cost labourforce around the world.

D. Free trade is incompatible with tight regulation.

答案(3)

4.What should big western retailers do?

A. Doing business only with those law abiding factories.

B. Urge the Bangladeshi government to make and enforce necessary laws.

C. Lobby their own governments to exert pressure on Bangladesh.

D. All of above.

答案(4)

* * *

(1) 答案：A.The local politician-factory building owner.

解释：这是第二段的第一句话。工厂主是当地的官员，他利用自己的影响避开了建筑监管。

Primark公司尽管has drawn praise from campaign groups and labour unions for such efforts.但是做的还不够。 而FT一贯坚持自由贸易立场，认为这是最能改善穷国和穷人福利的政策，因为如果没有外资来孟加拉投资和贸易，人们只能去做更危险、更肮脏、收入更低的工作。

(2) 答案：D.Crony capitalism as a major reason why the laws are flouted.

解释：根据文章，ABCD都是正确的。不过ABC是对客观事实的讲述，而D则是涉及到了判断——类似于“主要原因”这种词。 注意，“价格更低”或“更高”是事实描述，而如果说“俭朴”或“奢侈”则是观点和判断——每个人对50块钱一件衬衫是否简朴有不同的意见，但是没有人能否认50块比70块便宜。

(3) 答案：C.Capital always seeks for low-cost labourforce around the world.

解释：A显然不正确，all the inspection procedures in the world are pointless if laws are flouted.国际贸易需要各国都遵守同样的游戏规则。 B也不正确，事实上能够做大的企业相对来说还是注重自己的企业责任的。

(4) 答案：D.All of above.

解释：ABC都正确。A是文章中明确提到的。另外，文中说they should also use their economic muscle to press the government to do its job. 而BC都是常见的企业进行合法政治博弈的手段。俗话说，就是促使它成为“完全市场经济国家”。