2006年VOA标准英语-Groundbreaking Ceremony Held in Washington for

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
13 November 2006

U.S. dignitaries and celebrities¹ turned out to praise slain² American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., at a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of a memorial to honor him.

 
Dr. Maya Angelou takes part in groundbreaking ceremony for Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on National Mall, Monday, Nov. 13, 2006 
"Congratulations, America. This is your great day," American writer Maya Angelou said. She said she is proud Martin Luther King will be honored with a memorial in the heart of the U.S. capital.

King was a Baptist minister who championed equal rights for black people in the 1950's and 1960's, at a time when there was institutional racial segregation³ in the United States.

He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, but was killed by an assassin's bullet in 1968.

A memorial to honor King will be built on the National Mall in downtown Washington, which President Bush said will give the slain civil rights leader his rightful place among great Americans.

 
President Bush, right, stops to shake hands with Martin Luther King III, left, after speaking at groundbreaking ceremony for Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial 
"The King memorial will span a piece of ground between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials," the president said. "And, by its presence in this place, it will unite the men who declared the promise of America, and defended the promise of America, with the man who redeemed⁴ the promise of America."

Mr. Bush said Martin Luther King considered the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as enshrined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, a promise to all Americans.

King's efforts and inspiration helped lead to the striking down of laws that enforced racial segregation.

American talk show host Oprah Winfrey said she lives in what she called "a state of perpetual gratitude⁵."

 
Oprah Winfrey speaks at groundbreaking ceremony for Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on National Mall Monday, Nov. 13, 2006
"It is because of Dr. King and all those who worked with him that I stand, and because of them, I have a voice that can be heard," she said. "And I want you to know that I do not take that for granted, not for one breath, not for one breath. I live in state of reverence⁷ for where I have come from, and the price that was paid for me to be here."

Former President Bill Clinton, who signed legislation in 1996 to approve the creation of the memorial, said it also highlights King's reliance on non-violent methods.

"It will also be a reminder⁸ of Martin Luther King's conviction, that in the struggle for freedom, equality and justice, non-violence, his passion for peace, is the most effective strategy," Mr. Clinton said. "When the real battlefield is the human heart, civil disobedience works better than suicide bombing."

 
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., overcome with emotion, center, with Yolanda King, second from left, and Rev⁶. Al Sharpton, left, take part in groundbreaking ceremony for Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington Monday, Nov. 13, 2006
TV journalist Diane Sawyer read a letter from former South African President Nelson Mandela, whose country, in the days of apartheid, had legalized black and white segregation. Mr. Mandela said King's struggle for racial equality inspired and continues to inspire people around the world.

"Let the strivings of us all prove Martin Luther King Jr. to have been correct, when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically⁹ bound to the starless midnight of racism¹⁰ and war," Sawyer read. "Let the efforts of us all prove that he was not a mere¹¹ dreamer when he spoke¹² of the beauty of genuine brotherhood¹³ and peace being more precious than diamonds or silver or gold."

"Look where we have all come from," Angelou sang, "moving out of darkness, moving toward the light. Look. Look."

The memorial is scheduled to open in 2008.

1 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

2 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

3 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

4 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

5 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

6 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

7 reverence   

n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

8 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

9 tragically   

adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地

参考例句：

• Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。
• Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。

10 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。

11 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

12 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。

13 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。