美国国家公共电台 NPR 5 Years After Michael Brown Shooting, Slow Signs Of Progress

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

It's been five years since a Ferguson, Mo. police officer shot and killed a black teenager named Michael Brown. Brown's death ignited widespread protests and calls for more police accountability. Only now are some of those reform efforts picking up. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports.

JASON ROSENBAUM, BYLINE¹: Michael Brown's death in Ferguson provoked deep national questions over how police and government treat black residents. Efforts to overhaul² policing in the courts languished³ here for years even as other cities embraced significant changes. But one turning point came on New Year's Day of 2019.

(CHEERING)

ROSENBAUM: On this freezing day, scores of people are gathered outside the St. Louis County Government Center. They're here to watch Wesley Bell take the oath of office as the first black prosecutor⁴ in the county's history.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WESLEY BELL: We can't do it alone. You want to go fast? Go alone. You want to go far? We have to go together.

ROSENBAUM: Some here view Bell's election as arguably the most significant regional political development since Brown's death five years ago. Bell pieced together a multiracial coalition⁵ to oust⁶ the incumbent⁷ prosecutor who was in office when a grand jury declined to charge the officer who shot Brown. In the same county where Brown was killed, Bell wants to implement⁸ policies that align⁹ with Ferguson activism, things like setting up a unit dedicated¹⁰ to investigating police deadly force.

BELL: Just the fact that someone, you know, like myself is sitting here in this office with those types of policies, which 10 years ago would have been unheard of, I think, are signs of - that we're heading in the right direction.

ROSENBAUM: Activists¹¹ have seen modest progress in the Missouri General Assembly. Lawmakers went after cities that keep big traffic fines on motorists. But the state's attorney general reported this year that across Missouri, black drivers are still 91% more likely to be pulled over than white drivers and are more likely to be stopped in places where they live like Ferguson. While these statistics have alarmed some Missouri lawmakers, others who represent the suburbs express different concerns. State Representative Shane Roden says his constituents¹² see the protest movement itself as an attack on law enforcement.

SHANE RODEN: The people in Jefferson County, from the outside view, were mad. I mean, it was an absolute disgrace. This is what happens when politics get involved in law enforcement issues.

ROSENBAUM: This pushback seeped¹³ into national politics, where Donald Trump's full-throated support of law enforcement and criticism of the protesters played out during his successful campaign for president. That frustrated¹⁴ Cori Bush, who participated in Ferguson protests and lost her bid for Congress.

CORI BUSH: One thing that would really drive me nuts when people would say, well, you know, I stand 100% with law enforcement. You don't stand 100% with your spouse¹⁵, so let's stop that.

ROSENBAUM: Others argue that gauging¹⁶ progress through elections or enacted¹⁷ policies isn't enough. Some activists like Kareem "Tef Poe" Jackson say politics alone won't solve the problem of preconceived notions that people have about black people here.

KAREEM JACKSON: I think that political engagement goes so far beyond just voting. And if you're looking for voting to be the sole mechanism¹⁸ to spark change in your immediate¹⁹ life, then you're going to be waiting forever.

ROSENBAUM: St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell says he has noticed that some people seem more willing than before to talk openly with each other about inequity and racism²⁰.

BELL: One thing I will say about Ferguson is that whatever side of the spectrum²¹ your on with respect to any of these issues, more than likely, you've at least had a uncomfortable conversation or two or three about these issues. And so you do at least see book clubs on race, community town halls on these types of issues.

ROSENBAUM: It will be up to people like Bell to continue to have those uncomfortable conversations within the halls of government and try to bridge remaining racial divides throughout the state. For NPR News, I'm Jason Rosenbaum in St. Louis.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

3 languished   

长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐

参考例句：

• Our project languished during the holidays. 我们的计划在假期间推动得松懈了。
• He languished after his dog died. 他狗死之后，人憔悴了。

4 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

7 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

9 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

10 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 seeped   

v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• The rain seeped through the roof. 雨水透过房顶渗透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Icy air seeped in through the paper and the room became cold. 寒气透过了糊窗纸。屋里骤然冷起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

14 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

16 gauging   

n.测量[试]，测定，计量v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的现在分词 )；估计；计量；划分

参考例句：

• The method is especially attractive for gauging natural streams. 该方法对于测量天然的流注具有特殊的吸引力。 来自辞典例句
• Incommunicative as he was, some time elapsed before I had an opportunity of gauging his mind. 由于他不爱说话，我过了一些时候才有机会探测他的心灵。 来自辞典例句

17 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

18 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

19 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

20 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

21 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。