Rev. Lee first introduced the idea of the baby box in Korea as a temporary solution to keep abandoned babies alive.(Agencies) |
Hundreds of unwanted babies are abandoned on the streets of Seoul, South Korea, every year. Many of them don't survive, but Rev. Jong-rak Lee of Jesus-Loving Union Church has set up a way for saving some of these unwanted babies. Outside his church in Seoul a sign says "Place to leave babies." A "baby box" is there with a thick towel covering the bottom, and lights and heating to keep a baby comfortable. A bell rings when someone puts a baby in the box. Then a helper comes to immediately move the baby inside. This past year, six infants and small children were rescued at Lee's church. Many of them are physically or mentally handicapped, or babies from unmarried mothers who can't care for their children. "His skull is not shaped right," Lee pointed out about one child. "This note says that, 'He has this handicap, I am so sorry, but I am not able to raise this baby. So I put him safely in the baby box of Jesus-Loving Union Church." Official reports say about 600 infants or young children are abandoned in the streets every year, but the number is probably higher. Only about 20 percent of abandoned infants or children are rescued and placed temporarily in juvenile protection centers. And the numbers of infant deaths and abandoned children are bound to get worse as the rate of children born to single mothers increases. Government efforts have not kept up with the need, which is why Christian professionals developed the baby box. "Obviously it's best for the parents themselves to raise their children, but when the country does not perform its function in this situation, it is important to save the lives of babies first," obstetrician Dr. Sang-Duk Sim said. Rev. Lee first introduced the idea of the baby box in Korea as a temporary solution to keep abandoned babies alive. "There is no reason for the baby box to exist if the government takes care of the children's safety, and making them happy," he said. "[The] baby box should go, but right now there is only inaction and lack of concern." (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies)
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在韓國(guó)首爾,每年都有幾百名棄嬰被遺棄街頭。棄嬰的生存率較低,而“主愛共同體教會(huì)”牧師李鐘落為救助棄嬰想出了新辦法。李牧師在教堂外放置了“棄嬰收容箱”,上面寫著“棄嬰收留處”。 “棄嬰收容箱”里鋪著厚厚的毯子,里面的光照和溫度讓嬰兒覺得舒服。當(dāng)有人把孩子放進(jìn)收容箱后,就會(huì)有鈴聲響起。緊接著就會(huì)有助手把孩子抱進(jìn)教堂里。在過(guò)去一年里,李牧師的教會(huì)救助了六名嬰幼兒。 其中很多嬰幼兒都有身體或智力上的殘疾,還有些是被無(wú)法照顧孩子的未婚媽媽拋棄的。 李牧師指出,“有個(gè)孩子的顱骨是畸形的。送來(lái)時(shí)紙條上寫著:他有殘疾,很抱歉,我養(yǎng)不了這個(gè)孩子。所以我把他安全地放進(jìn)了主愛共同體教會(huì)的棄嬰收容箱里?!?/p> 官方報(bào)告稱,每年大約有600名嬰幼兒被遺棄街頭,但實(shí)際數(shù)字可能比這個(gè)還多。只有大約20%的被遺棄嬰幼兒得到了救助,并暫時(shí)安置在未成年人保護(hù)中心。 而隨著單身媽媽生育率的增長(zhǎng),嬰幼兒死亡和被遺棄的情況必將更加嚴(yán)重。 政府措施無(wú)法滿足救助需求,所以基督教徒才會(huì)設(shè)立棄嬰收容箱。 產(chǎn)科醫(yī)生金相德說(shuō):“父母自己撫養(yǎng)孩子當(dāng)然最好不過(guò)了,但當(dāng)政府不作為時(shí),最要緊的是先救活孩子?!?/p> 李牧師首先提出在韓國(guó)設(shè)立棄嬰收容箱,作為救助棄嬰的臨時(shí)辦法。 他說(shuō):“如果政府能負(fù)責(zé)好孩子們的安全,讓他們幸福生活,棄嬰箱就沒有存在的必要了?!?/p> “棄嬰箱是應(yīng)該拆除,但現(xiàn)在政府對(duì)救助嬰兒不管不顧,而且不關(guān)心?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 韓國(guó)政府讓公務(wù)員穿保暖內(nèi)衣“節(jié)能” 韓國(guó)G20峰會(huì)用金魚監(jiān)測(cè)水質(zhì) (中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 實(shí)習(xí)生蘇德悅 編輯:Julie) |
Vocabulary: skull: the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates(頭骨) be bound to: 肯定,注定 obstetrician: 產(chǎn)科醫(yī)生 inaction: lack or absence of action(不活動(dòng),無(wú)為,怠惰) |