2006年VOA标准英语-Code of Conduct for Immigrants Leads to Te

By Nina Marie Potts
Rotterdam, Netherlands
14 February 2006
 
watch Rotterdam report

Immigrants in Rotterdam   
  
European assumptions about how easy it is to integrate immigrant communities are being sharply challenged. And it's not just in Denmark, the source of the drawings that touched off the 'Cartoon Wars' that have spread across the Muslim world.

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In the Netherlands, many Dutch thought they'd built one of the world's most tolerant multicultural¹ societies. But a string of confrontations² between native Dutch and immigrants has put that all in doubt.

Rotterdam, like many European port cities, is a melting pot -- some predict its immigrant population will be nearly 60 per cent by 2017 -- not a figure "Liveable Rotterdam," Rotterdam's ruling right-wing party, wants to live with.

Swept to power four years ago, on a tide of anti-immigration feeling, the party believes anyone with a criminal record, insufficient³ income or a poor grasp of Dutch should be kept out of the city. The city council has approved a code of conduct for all residents. 

Marco Pastors⁴   
  
Marco Pastors is the head of "Liveable Rotterdam."  "What we noticed in the past 15 years, because of globalization, what we've noticed is a lot more immigrants came to this country because we had good provisions like health care and unemployment benefits, but we forgot to explain how it works around here, and this code of conduct tells you what we think is acceptable normal behavior in this country."

"Acceptable normal behavior" is what has Rotterdam's residents divided.  The code's critics say apparently⁵ liberal ideas, like respect for homosexuals, or the rejection⁶ of extremism, cleverly mask what is essentially⁷ a racist⁸, discriminatory creed⁹.

 
Xenos Nicolakos 
  
Point 2 of the Code calls on city residents to speak only Dutch in the streets, and as far as possible at home.  It's a move that has some immigrant groups, such as Xenos Nicolakos's Foreign Workers Platform, outraged¹⁰.

"How can you implement¹¹ it? Since I'm born, when I get hurt, what do I say? ‘Manoula mou, my mother?’ And I say it in Greek because I was born this way, it comes automatically, says Mr. Nicolakos. “I speak four languages, but Greek comes above. Is that forbidden? Is it forbidden for a Muslim to say 'Allah?' ‘Mon dieu?’ Can you forbid that?"

Whether or not the code forcing people to speak Dutch in the streets is legal under EU law is unclear.  But Holland's immigration minister, Rita Verdoonk, who recently called for a similar code to be introduced nationwide, insists there will be no law, and no language police.

So how can the Code of Conduct be implemented¹²? It's a question Rotterdam's politicians seem reluctant to answer.

"You can show something to people,” says Marco Pastors, “and say, ‘If you want to have a nice life here, and you don't know how to do that, and you don't know exactly what behavior is accepted here, and here it is, and if you don't like it, we have to have a little talk’."

Exactly what that  "little talk" will entail¹³, no one seems to know. 

 
Theo Cornelison
  
Theo Cornelison, of the Socialist¹⁴ Party, says the code reeks¹⁵ of provincial¹⁶ thinking.  "For Rotterdam, it is still a world harbor, we want to play a role in the modern world, then you have to have an open society and an open spirit. These people who are in government now want to return to the ‘50s, to return Rotterdam not to another world city, but a village on the river."

The Rotterdam Code of Conduct is the first of its kind, but with immigrant tensions rising across Europe, it might not be the last.

1 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

2 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

3 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

4 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

9 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

10 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

11 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。

12 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

13 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

14 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

15 reeks   

n.恶臭( reek的名词复数 )v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的第三人称单数 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象）

参考例句：

• His statement reeks of hypocrisy. 他的话显然很虛伪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His manner reeks prosperity. 他的态度表现得好象有钱的样子。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。