The Church and the Government Say Sorry for Taking Children
教會與政府就強行帶走孩子一事道歉
Introduction
The Church of England and the UK government said sorry to mothers. Between 1949 and 1976, these groups took children from mothers and gave them to other families.
英國聖公會與英國政府向母親們道歉。在 1949 年至 1976 年之間，這些機構將孩子從母親身邊帶走，並交給其他家庭照顧。
Main Body
The Church of England had 100 homes for mothers and babies. The Church said the mothers had the right to keep their babies. But in real life, the Church took the babies. The Church called the babies 'material' and made the mothers do hard work.
英國聖公會曾擁有 100 所母嬰之家。教會聲稱母親有權保留自己的孩子，但在現實生活中，教會卻帶走了孩子。教會將孩子稱為「素材」，並強迫母親從事繁重的勞動。
The UK government also said they were wrong. The government in Scotland and Wales said sorry in 2023. The Catholic Church said sorry in 2016.
英國政府也承認他們做錯了。蘇格蘭與威爾斯的政府於 2023 年道歉。天主教會則於 2016 年道歉。
Some people are happy, but some are not. The Archbishop of Canterbury said the actions were 'shocking'. But some adult children say the apology is not enough. They want the Church to admit more mistakes.
有些人感到欣慰，但有些人並不認同。坎特伯雷大主教表示這些行為令人「震驚」。但一些成年子女表示，僅僅道歉是不夠的，他們希望教會能承認更多錯誤。
Conclusion
The Church and the state said sorry for the past. However, some people think this is not enough help.
教會與政府為過去的行為道歉，但有些人認為這樣提供的幫助還不夠。
Vocabulary Learning
🕒 Time Travel: Past vs. Now
Look at how we talk about things that finished long ago. We use a special 'past' form of the action word.
The Pattern:
- Now: say Past: said
- Now: take Past: took
- Now: have Past: had
- Now: make Past: made
Why this matters for A2: In English, not every word just adds "-ed". These words are "rule-breakers." You must memorize them to tell stories about the past.
⚖️ The Balance Word: "But"
When two ideas fight each other, we use But. It is like a seesaw.
- Idea A: The Church said mothers have rights. BUT Idea B: They took the babies.
- Idea A: Some people are happy. BUT Idea B: Some are not.
Pro Tip: Use "But" to show a surprise or a problem in your sentences.