) d& N0 Y' X# A7 c. O: d- N 普雷斯科特说：“就像讨论二战时期纳粹分子对犹太人的大屠杀一样，人们开始比较公开、诚实地面对奴隶贸易了。” * b/ u6 b" q4 p3 _+ } % p5 o8 E1 Y" j2 N; c7 M- f 他说：“知道英国在历史上参与过这些事情，让人感到震惊和恐怖，奴隶贸易是如此残酷……我们需要告诉人们历史真相，包括好的、不好的，还有恐怖的。” # Y' `& \) M# ]9 e, j* y% r, o0 ?* U! \* r" T' R' q4 G k
他指出，纪念日将提醒人们不要忘记残酷的奴隶贸易。' f8 b3 H4 U. d! a3 d6 s" J3 V: D
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英国首相布莱尔21日曾表示，他对英国过去参与奴隶贸易感到抱歉，表示英国当时的做法“完全不可接受”。但英国政府迄今为止仍然拒绝就此正式道歉。, f6 l A( ]+ X; _+ I( a
. z+ D- O0 V+ c3 W6 G& [% d( d ^/ J% p 历史学家估计，从1700年到19世纪初期，英国商人经由大西洋，从非洲贩卖了约300万名黑人奴隶。从1450年到1850年，欧洲国家共贩卖了约2100万名黑人奴隶，其中英国商人扮演了主要角色。: b# d8 g6 S0 z
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1807年3月25日，英国通过《废除奴隶贸易法案》，规定英国船只上每发现一名奴隶，罚款100英镑(约合190美元)。1833年，英国通过《废除奴隶制法案》，宣布废除奴隶制度。 . h: }, J% X: e # X* K) `: U% k! ^8 C$ iCommemoration day to mark UK slave trade role; g9 r4 y& b2 g% | ~5 g; o7 N
AN annual commemoration day will be held to recall Britain's role in the slave trade, deputy prime minister John Prescott said. 7 g0 Y- S% P; V+ q; T* l# }2 U9 w% @" z$ R, h
The news came as the Government today announced freed victims of human trafficking are to be granted the right to stay in Britain temporarily. % ~% i& C8 ?. |8 o9 Z, m W 4 V8 X; A! @% k/ ?9 d0 PMr Prescott said that he expected the commemoration day to take place along with the rest of Europe in June to help counter modern-day human trafficking. , N% C6 S$ O! m0 b% m' X
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"Like the Holocaust, we are learning to talk about the slave trade openly and more honestly," he reportedly said. . L7 B, H( P w; m: _1 E& X' C. y4 C 5 m% x9 r- l4 v" ]"Tragic and terrible as it was, the slave trade defied anyone to discuss it because it was so horrendous." 3 e7 x, Z# F6 k1 \: p5 C 8 e% N+ E" |9 V( \" W0 V' b0 ?The Home Office was today set to announce plans to sign the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. . ~8 O4 k6 j! H4 T* R: {
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The agreement offers victims - such as women who are sold into the sex trade - the right to at least 30 days' grace after they have escaped people traffickers.+ r- q/ ]" U% m" w
