A new World Bank study says South Asian countries can improve economic conditions and provide millions of jobs for women by increasing the number of clothing factories.
世界银行一项新的研究称，南亚国家可以通过增加服装厂的数量来改善经济状况，并为妇女提供数百万个就业机会。
The cost to make clothing in China is rising. Factories in other countries can make clothes for a lower cost.
中国的制衣成本正在上涨。其它国家的工厂可以以更低价格生产服装。
The bank says countries like Vietnam and Cambodia are increasing clothing manufacturing jobs faster than South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
世界银行表示，越南和柬埔寨等国家比印度、孟加拉国、巴基斯坦和斯里兰卡等南亚国家在制衣就业机会上增长更快。
But the study says lower costs and an increasing number of young workers give South Asian countries the chance to compete. Clothing manufacturing is a labor-intensive industry needing many workers.
但是该研究表示，低成本以及年轻工人数量增加为南亚国家提供了竞争机会。服装制造业是需要很多工人的劳动密集型产业。
These jobs are important for an area where few women work outside the home. The share of women who are employed in clothing factories is much higher than in other industries.
这些就业机会对女性很少外出工作的地区来说非常重要。受雇于服装制造业的女性份额远远高出其它行业。
In Sri Lanka, about two-thirds of clothing factory workers are women. In India and Bangladesh, about one-third are.
在斯里兰卡，大约三分之二的服装厂工人是妇女，在印度和孟加拉国大约是三分之一。
Onno Ruhl is the World Bank country director in India. He said the number of women working in the country has been dropping over the last 10 to 15 years. "It is a trend we would really like to see reversed in India," he said.
世界银行驻印度国别主任Onno Ruhl表示，过去10到15年该国妇女的就业人数一直在下降。他说，“这是我们真正希望看到印度扭转的一种趋势。”
The World Bank study found that in countries where more girls and women work, marriages take place later in life. Women have fewer children. They eat better food and their children are more likely to go to school. All these help an economy grow.
世界银行的研究发现，在有更多女性就业的国家，结婚越晚，妇女生孩子越少。她们吃得更好，她们的孩子上学的可能性越大。这些都有助于经济增长。
Wages are an important issue for the clothing manufacturing industry. Workers in Bangladesh are paid about 50 cents an hour while Indian workers are paid more than one dollar. That is much less than the amount workers in China are paid -- about $2.50 an hour.
工资是服装制造业的一个重要问题。孟加拉国工人的时薪为50美分，而印度工人的时薪超过1美元。这些都远远低于中国工人2.5美元左右的时薪。
Clothing manufacturing jobs can improve the lives of women. But working conditions in the industry are of great concern and are being watched by groups around the world.
服装制造业的就业机会可以改善妇女生活。但是该行业的工作环境受到极大关注，并被世界各地团体所注意。
Conditions in the industry were recognized as a major issue in 2013, when an eight-story building in Bangladesh collapsed. More than 1,100 clothing workers died. The collapse increased attention on dangerous working conditions in the industry.
2013年该行业的工作环境被视为一个重大问题，当时孟加拉国一栋8层建筑倒塌，造成超过1100名服装工人遇难。这次倒塌提升了人们对该行业危险工作环境的关注。
About five million people work in the industry according to the World Bank study, which is called "Stitches to Riches? Apparel Employment, Trade, and Economic Development in South Asia." Several million more work informally in smaller factories or businesses that may not be known to government officials or inspectors.
根据世界银行研究有大约5百万人在该行业就业。这项研究名为《缝纫致富？南亚的服装就业、贸易和经济发展》。有数百万人在小型工厂或企业打临工，这些可能不为政府官员和检查人员所知。
The study says clothing manufacturing can be a valuable industry for development. But it also says there is a need for industry supervision, better wages and higher-value products.
该研究表示，服装制造能够成为发展的宝贵产业。但该研究也表示有必要进行行业监管、提高工资以及生产更高附加值产品。
I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise.
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