时差N小时:学生也可以休产假

One thing we don't quite understand is why thelocal press should hype the maternity leave theMinistry of Education has decided to grant high-school girls. Perhaps there was no other issue thelocal media thought interesting enough to attractreaders and viewers.

我们非常不理解，当地媒体为何对教育部准予高中女生休产假这件事如此大肆炒作——大概是他们没有其它可以吸引读者和观众的事情了吧。

Such help is already available in all developed countries of the world, however. In the UnitedStates, for instance, high-school mothers can even feed their babies between classes. But, thisseemingly insignificant piece of news did not escape the eyes of reporters with a nose fornews, like those of a bloodhound for game. They wanted a hullabaloo.

其实，这种事在所有的发达国家都见怪不怪了。例如，美国的高中生母亲甚至可以在课间给自己的婴儿喂奶。但是，这件看似不起眼的消息没能逃脱那些新闻嗅觉灵敏的记者们的眼睛。他们就像一个个猎犬一样。他们要的是一个爆炸性的效果。

Fortunately, they did not succeed. The reason is simple. Taiwanese parents mostly agreed thatsomething had to be done for hapless girls carrying babies while attending high school.Awarding them maternity leave is the least the education ministry can and should do to helpthem. There are not many high-school mothers, but that does not mean the authorities shouldignore their predicament. For one thing, they are, as often as not, ostracized by their peers.As a result, many pregnant teens abort unwanted babies. Most of the new mothers drop out ofschool, with little chance to complete secondary education.

幸运的是，他们的如意算盘落空了。原因很简单。台籍家长们大多认为，他们应该为那些无助的高中生妈妈们做点什么。准许她们休产假算是教育部能为她们所做的最起码的事。虽然高中生妈妈并非多数，但这并不意味着当局就应忽视她们的困境。此外，她们往往受到同龄人的排斥。因此，许多怀孕的少女选择了堕胎。就是那些生下孩子的新妈妈们，她们大多也会选择辍学，鲜有人能够完成中学学业。

At any rate, it is of paramount importance that all students realize that all newborn babies arewelcome.

无论如何，所有的学生都意识到，每个新生儿都应受到呵护——这才是最重要的。

1. maternity a. 产妇的

例句：I am looking for maternity wear in particularmaternity sleepwear and jeans. 我在寻找孕妇装，尤其是孕妇穿的睡衣和牛仔裤。

2. leave n.准假;

例句：Maternity leave, paternity leave, carers' leaveand sick leave are not costs but essential to ourwellbeing. 产假、初为人父假期、护理者假期、病假等对心灵健康至关重要,绝不是一种额外花费。

3. hullabaloo n.喧嚷声，吵闹声

例句：They like to live in the countryside, far way from crowd and hullabaloo. 他们喜欢住在乡村,远离人群和喧嚣。

4. predicament n.困境

例句：A loan of money would help me out of my predicament. 只需一笔贷款就能帮我摆脱困境。

5. ostracize vt.排斥

例句：He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. 他因不支持罢工而受同事排斥。

6. paramount a.最高的

例句：The reduction of unemployment should be paramount. 降低失业率应是头等大事。