2007年VOA标准英语-Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Copes with Afterma

By Julie Donnelly
Blacksburg, Virginia
20 April 2007
 

As new details emerge about the gunman blamed for the killings¹ at Virginia Tech University, and more is learned about his 32 victims, the small community of Blacksburg, Virginia struggles with the burden of this tragedy. Julie Donnelly reports on how local people are coping.

Blacksburg, Virginia is home to Virginia Tech

Regular programming at Q99 radio station near Virginia Tech has taken a back seat to a more important mission -- as an emotional outlet² for a community in mourning. Disc jockey Joey Self has become a shoulder to lean on.

"As you can imagine, via phone and e-mail, a lot of people are calling in to express their thoughts about the victims, and to offer condolences to the families," he says.

The people of Blacksburg, Virginia are finding ways to cope with an unexplainable loss, commemorating³ the victims with yellow ribbons on Main Street.  Local children passed out pins in Virginia Tech colors.

And they are turning to their local leaders -- such as Mayor Ron Rordam -- for answers.

"One message that I have tried to tell is, this is an isolated⁴ incident, this is not the town of Blacksburg,” says the mayor. “We did a citizen survey two years ago and people say they feel safe in the parks like this, they feel safe on the streets. And I don't think that will change Blacksburg and who we are and what we are."

But as the mayor was speaking, his town hall was in lockdown after a bomb threat in a neighboring town.

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Yellow ribbons and the school colors of orange and maroon can be seen throughout Blacksburg

Earlier in the day, police locked down a campus building next to where the shootings took place. The local police force, under international scrutiny⁶, cannot afford to take any chances.

It is a new reality for a town where people usually leave their doors open.

Many local businesses closed Monday immediately following the tragedy. But Cabo Fish Taco stayed open, becoming a haven⁷ for locals and students alike. But owner Gary Walker says it has not been easy, since more than half of his waitstaff is comprised of students.

"So a lot of them are going home,” Walker tells us. “A lot of their families are coming and picking them up and making them go home, which leaves the community a little drained because we don't have the staff to maintain our business because half of the staff are gone."

Meanwhile, the town is reeling from new warning signs about the shooter, Cho Seung-hui. An English professor says Cho's writings and strange behavior prompted her to alert school authorities and the counseling service. And police say Cho was investigated for allegedly stalking two female students in 2005.

Local peace activist⁸ Justin Yonker says Cho fell through the cracks in a society where violence is too often the answer. "Violent solutions aren't solutions. There are always non-violent solutions to a problem. They might be the ones that take longer, not the ones you immediately think of, but they are there. And I'm just trying to get on my soapbox, prevent something like this from happening in the future."

The future is something Blacksburg is trying to focus on -- but the people know the town will never be the same.

1 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

2 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

3 commemorating   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements. 他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The post office issued a series commemorating famous American entertainers. 邮局发行了一个纪念美国著名演艺人员的系列邮票。 来自互联网

4 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

5 maroon   

v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的

参考例句：

• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
• Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。

6 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

7 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。