子宫不是商品，生命更不能交易

近日，「代孕」的话题再次引发热议。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What is one of the main reasons that international agreement on surrogacy laws might be difficult to achieve?

A) The technology for surrogacy is not widely available.

B) The high cost of surrogacy makes it inaccessible to most countries.

C) Different countries have widely varying attitudes toward surrogacy.

D) There is a lack of interest in addressing surrogacy issues.

A) The medical risks associated with surrogacy procedures.

B) The happiness brought by surrogacy to childless couples.

C) The financial costs of pursuing surrogacy.

D) The irreversible and complex issues that arise from the growing surrogacy industry.

无注释原文：

Surrogacy: Why the world needs rules for 'selling' babies

From: BBC, 26 April 2019

Surrogacy is not a new phenomenon. For thousands of years, women have nominated others to give birth on their behalf.

However, technological advances such as IVF, softening of cultural attitudes and the trend for having children later have fuelled a recent boom in surrogacy.

In the past two decades, it has become a global phenomenon. There are no precise figures on how many children are involved but as far back as 2012 the industry around surrogacy was worth an estimated $6bn a year.

In the UK alone, the number of parental orders made following a surrogate birth has tripled from 121 in 2011 to 368 in 2018. The true number of surrogacy arrangements may be even higher, as there is no obligation to seek such an order.

Hitting the headlines

Surrogacy comes in two forms - gestational, where the surrogate mother is implanted with an egg and sperm; and traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate's own egg is used.

In the majority of cases, these procedures go smoothly. But surrogacy's soaring popularity has come at a human cost and stories of potential mistreatment have hit the headlines several times in recent years.

Targeting the vulnerable

On top of child welfare concerns, there are also examples of surrogate mothers being exploited by agents and kept in inhumane conditions.

Financially and socially vulnerable women can be targets for surrogacy recruitment, attracted by the sums of money on offer. A surrogate in Ukraine, for example, can earn up to $20,000 (£15,507) - more than eight times the average yearly income.

However, there have been reports of poor treatment of surrogate mothers, with some agencies refusing to pay surrogates if they do not obey strict requirements or if they miscarry.

Exploitation concerns have led to many countries shutting down their previously booming surrogacy industries, while last year the UN warned that "commercial surrogacy... usually amounts to the sale of children".

Is an international agreement possible?

Intergovernmental body the Hague Conference on Private International Law is currently looking into the possibility of forming internationally agreed rules for authorities to recognise the parenthood of children born abroad through surrogacy, and set out consistent rules.

However, it may be difficult to reach international agreement, due to the widely differing attitudes towards surrogacy.

Countries that ban or restrict the practice would be unlikely to sign up to something that allows commercial surrogacy, and vice versa.

This means authorities are left in a very difficult situation: the global surrogacy market has sprung up due to the inconsistency of laws around the world, but it is precisely because of these differences that they are unable to regulate the practice effectively.

Surrogacy can provide the joy of a longed-for child, but at the same time it opens the door for the exploitation of the most vulnerable.

As surrogacy gains in popularity, these legal and ethical dilemmas will only become more pressing. Pandora's Box has been opened and the law has failed to respond.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为BBC官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Surrogacy: Why the world needs rules for 'selling' babies

From: BBC, 26 April 2019

Surrogacy is not a new phenomenon. For thousands of years, women have nominated others to give birth on their behalf.

代孕并不是最近才出现的现象，千百年来一直存在女性请别人为自己生子的事情。

surrogacy /ˈsʌrəɡəsɪ/ 不可数名词，表示“代孕”，英文解释为“Surrogacy is an arrangement by which a woman gives birth to a baby on behalf of a woman who is physically unable to have babies herself, and then gives the baby to her.”

🎬电影《星际穿越》（Interstellar）中的台词提到：After that, with surrogacy, the growth becomes exponential. 之后可以利用代孕的方式使人口指数增长。

nominate /ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/ 1）表示“提名；推荐”，英文解释为“to formally suggest that sb should be chosen for an important role, prize, position, etc.”举个🌰：He was nominated (as) best actor. 他获得了最佳男演员的提名。

2）表示“任命；指定”，英文解释为“to officially choose someone for a job or to do something”举个🌰：She was nominated as the delegation's official interpreter. 她被任命为代表团的正式翻译。

However, technological advances such as IVF, softening of cultural attitudes and the trend for having children later have fuelled a recent boom in surrogacy.

但随着体外人工受孕（In vitro fertilization，IVF）等新技术的出现、文化上对于代孕接受程度的提高以及女性倾向于晚生孩子的趋势越来越明显，代孕行业近年来呈现出爆发式增长。

fuel /ˈfjuː.əl/ 表示“加剧；增加；加强；刺激；激起”，英文解释为“To fuel a situation means to make it become worse or more intense.”如：to fuel speculation / rumours / fears 引起猜测 / 谣传 / 恐惧，举个🌰：The result will inevitably fuel speculation about his future. 该结果将不可避免地加剧人们对他的前途的猜测。

作动词，boom /buːm/ 1）表示“增长；迅速发展”，英文解释为“to increase or become successful and produce a lot of money very quickly”举个🌰：The leisure industry is booming. 休闲产业正在蓬勃发展。

2）表示“发出低沉有力的声音；发出隆隆声，轰鸣”，英文解释为“to make a very deep and loud hollow sound”举个🌰：The cannons boomed (out) in the night. 晚上传来隆隆炮声。

作名词，表示“增长，繁荣；增长期，繁荣期”，英文解释为“an increase in something , or a time when something becomes more popular”举个🌰：This year has seen a boom in book sales. 今年图书销售激增。

📍baby boom表示“生育高峰，婴儿潮”，英文解释为“a large increase in the number of babies born among a particular group of people during a particular time”举个🌰：There was a baby boom in the UK and the US after the Second World War. 二战后，英国和美国都出现了一次生育高峰。

In the past two decades, it has become a global phenomenon. There are no precise figures on how many children are involved but as far back as 2012 the industry around surrogacy was worth an estimated $6bn a year.

在过去20年里，这已经成为一个全球性的现象。尽管很难知道通过代孕产子的精确人数，但有统计称，全球代孕行业总产值在2012年就已达到60亿美元。

In the UK alone, the number of parental orders made following a surrogate birth has tripled from 121 in 2011 to 368 in 2018. The true number of surrogacy arrangements may be even higher, as there is no obligation to seek such an order.

在英国，养育命令判决（parental orders，指代孕生下的孩子需要通过法庭确定抚养权）的数量从2011年的121起爆增至2018年的368起，增长了三倍。申请养育命令并不具有强制性，实际代孕的数量可能比这个数字更高。

surrogate /ˈsʌr.ə.ɡət/ 1）作形容词，表示“替代的；代理的”，英文解释为“something that replaces or is used instead of something else”

2） 作名词，表示“替代者；替代物”，也可以直接指“代孕妈妈”，等同于surrogate mother，举个🌰：For some people, reading travel books is a surrogate for actual travel. 对某些人来说，读游记可以替代真正的旅行。

triple /ˈtrɪp.əl/ 表示“（使）成三倍，（使）增加两倍”，英文解释为“to increase three times in size or amount, or to make something do this”举个🌰：We have tripled our output over the past two years. 过去两年里，我们的产量增加了两倍。

obligation /ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ 表示“义务；责任；职责”，英文解释为“the fact that you are obliged to do something”举个🌰：If you have not signed a contract, you are under no obligation to (= it is not necessary to) pay them any money. 如果你没有签合同，你就没有义务付给他们钱。

📍词根“-lig-”来自拉丁语“ligare”，意味着“绑定，约束”。前缀“ob-”通常表示“向前”或“对面”，在这里加强了绑定的感觉。想象你看到一个人被一份重要文件“绑定”，这份文件代表了他的职责。近义词：duty（职责），同根词：obligatory（义务的），常用短语：fulfill an obligation（履行义务）。

Hitting the headlines 引人关注的案例

Surrogacy comes in two forms - gestational, where the surrogate mother is implanted with an egg and sperm; and traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate's own egg is used.

代孕可分为两种。一种是妊娠代孕，需要在代母体内植入精子和卵子。另一种是传统代孕，实际使用的是代母的卵子。

gestational /dʒesˈteɪ.ʃən.əl/ 表示“妊娠期的”，英文解释为“relating to the development of a child or young animal while it is still inside its mother's body”举个🌰：Rabbits have a 30-day gestational period. 兔子的妊娠期为30天。

implant /ˈɪm.plɑːnt/ 可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“（手术中）植入，移植；（植入人体中的）移植物，植入物”，英文解释为“an organ, group of cells, or device that has been put into the body in a medical operation”

In the majority of cases, these procedures go smoothly. But surrogacy's soaring popularity has come at a human cost and stories of potential mistreatment have hit the headlines several times in recent years.

大多数代孕的过程都很顺利。但代孕规模的爆增也开始伴随出现道德方面的争议，一些处置不当的案例近年来吸引了大众关注。

procedure /prəˈsiːdʒə(r)/ 1）表示“程序；步骤；常规”，英文解释为“a set of actions that is the official or accepted way of doing something”举个🌰：The company has new procedures for dealing with complaints. 公司采取了新程序处理投诉事宜。

2）表示“医疗处理；手术”，英文解释为“a medical operation”举个🌰：It's a routine/standard surgical procedure. 这是一个普通的外科手术。

soar /sɔːr/ 1）表示“急剧增加”，英文解释为“If the amount, value, level, or volume of something soars, it quickly increases by a great deal.”举个🌰：Shares soared on the New York stock exchange. 纽约证券交易所股票暴涨。

2）表示“高飞，翱翔”，英文解释为“If something such as a bird soars into the air, it goes quickly up into the air.”举个🌰：If you're lucky, a splendid golden eagle may soar into view. 幸运的话，一只金色雄鹰会跃入视线。

3）作动词，表示“升空；升腾”，英文解释为“to rise quickly and smoothly up into the air”举个🌰：The rocket soared (up) into the air. 火箭升空。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇分析受疫情影响的旅游业的文章中提到：Soaring incomes in China explain part of the increase. 这一增长的部分原因是中国人收入猛增。

Targeting the vulnerable 弱势群体

On top of child welfare concerns, there are also examples of surrogate mothers being exploited by agents and kept in inhumane conditions.

还有一些案例让人担心代母遭到公司剥削，或者遭受非人的待遇。

exploit /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ 1）表示“利用；剥削（…为自己谋利）”，英文解释为“to treat a person or situation as an opportunity to gain an advantage for yourself”举个🌰：He exploited his father's name to get himself a job. 他利用他父亲的名声为自己找到一份工作。

2）表示“开发，运用；利用；发挥”，英文解释为“to use sth well in order to gain as much from it as possible”举个🌰：She fully exploits the humour of her role in the play. 她在剧中把她那个角色的幽默发挥得淋漓尽致。

🎬电影《惊天魔盗团》（Now You See Me）中的台词提到：What I hate is people who exploit other people. 我只是讨厌那些利用别人的人。

作名词，表示“不寻常的行为；英勇的行为；奇遇”，英文解释为“something unusual, brave, or funny that someone has done”举个🌰：She was telling me about her exploits while travelling around Africa. 她跟我讲述了她在非洲各地旅游时的奇遇。

Financially and socially vulnerable women can be targets for surrogacy recruitment, attracted by the sums of money on offer. A surrogate in Ukraine, for example, can earn up to $20,000 (£15,507) - more than eight times the average yearly income.

一些在经济和社会地位方面处于弱势的女性会成为代孕公司招募的对象，吸引她们的是高额的报酬。在乌克兰，一次代孕获取的报酬可以达到2万美金，这相当于该国平均年薪的8倍。

vulnerable /ˈvʌl.nər.ə.bəl/ 表示“易受伤的；易受影响（或攻击）的；脆弱的”，英文解释为“able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked”举个🌰：I felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on. 一丝不挂地站在那儿，我感觉自己不堪一击。

However, there have been reports of poor treatment of surrogate mothers, with some agencies refusing to pay surrogates if they do not obey strict requirements or if they miscarry.

有报道披露了代母遭受的悲惨对待，如果她们不遵守公司的严格规定，或者出现流产，代孕公司会拒绝付给报酬。

miscarry /mɪˈskær.i/ 表示“流产，小产”，英文解释为“to experience an early, unintentional end to a pregnancy”举个🌰：Sadly, she miscarried eight weeks into the pregnancy. 不幸的是，她在怀孕八周后流产了。

Exploitation concerns have led to many countries shutting down their previously booming surrogacy industries, while last year the UN warned that "commercial surrogacy... usually amounts to the sale of children".

这种担心促使很多国家关闭迅速增长的代孕机构。联合国去年也警告说，商业代孕通常可以被视为买卖儿童。

1）表示“（数量上）达到，总计”，英文解释为“if figures, sums etc amount to a particular total, they equal that total when they are added together”举个🌰：Time lost through illness amounted to 12 working days. 因疾病而损失的时间总计为12个工作日。

2）表示“等于，相当于”，英文解释为“if an attitude, remark, situation etc amounts to something, it has the same effect”举个🌰：The court's decision amounts to a not guilty verdict. 法庭的裁决等于是宣判无罪。

Is an international agreement possible? 国际准则

Intergovernmental body the Hague Conference on Private International Law is currently looking into the possibility of forming internationally agreed rules for authorities to recognise the parenthood of children born abroad through surrogacy, and set out consistent rules.

跨国界组织“海牙国际私法会议”最近正在探讨是否有可能制定统一的国际准则来规范代孕行为。

However, it may be difficult to reach international agreement, due to the widely differing attitudes towards surrogacy.

但是，由于各国对于代孕的不同态度，形成统一的准则可能很难。

Countries that ban or restrict the practice would be unlikely to sign up to something that allows commercial surrogacy, and vice versa.

禁止或限制代孕的国家不愿意签署协议放开商业代孕，准许商业代孕的国家同样也不愿签署禁止条款。

表示“反过来也一样，反之亦然”，英文解释为“used to say that what you have just said is also true in the opposite order”举个🌰：He doesn't trust her, and vice versa (= she also doesn't trust him). 他不信任她，她也一样不信任他。

This means authorities are left in a very difficult situation: the global surrogacy market has sprung up due to the inconsistency of laws around the world, but it is precisely because of these differences that they are unable to regulate the practice effectively.

这样一来，各国政府都会面临困难局面：全球代孕市场的繁荣正是源于各国法律差异，而这种差异又导致监管缺失。

表示“突然出现；涌现”，英文解释为“to start to exist suddenly”举个🌰：Thousands of new businesses have sprung up in the past couple of years. 过去几年里数千家新企业如雨后春笋般涌现出来。

Surrogacy can provide the joy of a longed-for child, but at the same time it opens the door for the exploitation of the most vulnerable.

代孕确实可以给渴望孩子的家庭带来欣喜，但同时也为剥削弱势群体的行为打开了大门。

As surrogacy gains in popularity, these legal and ethical dilemmas will only become more pressing. Pandora's Box has been opened and the law has failed to respond.

随着代孕的日渐普及，法律和道德的困境会日趋严重。在潘多拉魔盒打开的同时，法律没有做出及时的回应。

ethical /ˈeθ.ɪ.kəl/ 表示“道德的；伦理的”，英文解释为“relating to beliefs about what is morally right and wrong”如：ethical and legal issues 道德和法律问题。

dilemma /daɪˈlem.ə/ /dɪˈlem.ə/ 表示“左右为难，两难境地”，英文解释为“a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you could do”举个🌰：He was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to return to his country. 他面临着是否回国的艰难选择。

Pandora's box /pænˌdɔː.rəz ˈbɒks/ 表示“潘多拉魔盒（指邪恶之源）”，英文解释为“something that creates a lot of new problems that you did not expect”举个🌰：This court case could open a Pandora's box of similar claims.这宗诉讼案会为类似的索赔开启潘多拉魔盒。

📍源自希腊神话。主神宙斯创造了潘多拉并派其带着装满邪恶的盒子下凡。当她打开盒子时，各种邪恶奔涌而出，泛滥人间。

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