密歇根新闻广播 我们是否将选举变得很难?

This weekend I had a chance to see President Obama's speech to the graduating class at Howard, the nation's best known historic black university. He talked to them about voting and voting rights—but not quite the way you might think.

It was a highly impressive speech.

It seems to me that in recent weeks Obama seems to have gotten his groove¹ back as an orator². He seems looser, much more like the hope-inspiring leader of 2008 than the careworn³ president.

Possibly this is because he knows he will be a private citizen again in less than nine months.

He praised a young woman named Ciearra Jefferson, the daughter of a single mom who works in an auto⁴ plant. Ciearra, the president said, intends to come back to Detroit to help her community have access to the health care they need.

That was a legitimate⁵ feel-good story. But I found the president's remarks on voting especially compelling.

Suddenly, after talking about the need for change, he changed tone with the new graduates.

"Your plan better include voting—not some of the time, but all the time," he said.

He admitted there is still discrimination, and said that half a century after the Voting Rights Act, "there are still too many barriers in this country to [voting], and "there are still too many people trying to erect⁶ new barriers."

Still, he gently reminded them that what they had to face was nothing compared to their ancestors, who risked their lives to vote.

He told them when the nation's first black president was running for reelection four years ago, "nearly two in three African-Americans turned out.

In 2014, only two in five turned out.

You don't think that made a difference in terms of the Congress I've got to deal with?"

Finally he said, "you know what? Just vote. If you have more votes than the other guy, you get to do what you want. It's not that complicated."

The students laughed, and the President had a point. But maybe it is a little more complicated. The day before he spoke⁷ at Howard, I had lunch with a freshman⁸ state representative from Detroit named Leslie Love.

She's a woman in her mid-forties, with a background in both theater and human resources. She told me she had turned to politics because she wanted to make a difference for her community.

At one point we started talking about voting, and why so many African-Americans don't. Representative Love is perhaps a bit closer to the street than the president. She told me that for people with limited education, the ballot⁹ can be terrifying.

"For example, it might say, "vote for not more than two," candidates and they won't be sure exactly what that means. Does it mean you have to vote for two?

She told me many black folks are too proud to ask for help, and so they don't vote at all.

Add the fact that there's no early voting in Michigan, too few polling places in inner city areas, false rumors¹⁰ about the police waiting at the polls to serve warrants, and poor turnout becomes much easier to understand.

The President was right: Everyone needs to vote, and it is easier for some than it once was. But for too many, not easy enough.

Jack¹¹ Lessenberry is Michigan Radio's political analyst¹². Views expressed in his essays are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.

1 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

2 orator   

n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家

参考例句：

• He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。
• The orator gestured vigorously while speaking.这位演讲者讲话时用力地做手势。

3 careworn   

adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的

参考例句：

• It's sad to see the careworn face of the mother of a large poor family.看到那贫穷的一大家子的母亲忧劳憔悴的脸庞心里真是难受。
• The old woman had a careworn look on her face.老妇脸上露出忧心忡忡的神色。

4 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

6 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

9 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

10 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。