VOA常速英语2008年-Australian Aborigines Prepare for Historic Apol

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
12 February 2008

Australia is preparing to issue its first formal apology for past mistreatment of the country's Aboriginal¹ people.   The declaration by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be the first act of the new government when the Australian parliament reopens in Canberra on February 13.  It will acknowledge injustices² suffered by Aborigines in the years after European colonization³ that began in the late 1700s.   From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

It's been a long time coming but Australia is about to say sorry to its indigenous⁴ people.

February 13 will be a momentous⁵ day.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will apologize for injustices of the past, including the forced removal of thousands of Aboriginal children from their families.

These people are known as the 'Stolen Generations' and have come to symbolize⁶ the mistreatment suffered by Australia's
original inhabitants.

Mr. Rudd, who promised to apologize during last November's election, says it will help to heal the rift⁷ between black and white Australians.

"Our commitment to saying sorry is clear cut. I said so before the election," he said. "I said, if we're elected, we'd do it, and we're going to do it.  And, I've said repeatedly the reason for so doing is that there is unfinished business here on the part of the nation. We need to get this right because the symbolism of an apology is important. But, it's beyond that, as well. As I said, it's building a bridge of respect, which I think has been in some state of disrepair in recent decades."

The previous prime minister, John Howard, had always refused to apologize, declaring that modern Australia had no need to show contrition⁸ for the deeds of the past.

In opposition⁹, Howard's right-wing coalition¹⁰ remains¹¹ uncertain about supporting a formal apology.

Some opposition members of parliament believe that the time has come to say sorry.

"I approve, I'm certainly in favor of that. I think it's something that we have to do and then move on," said Fran Bailey.

"The time has come for us to make an apology," added Steve Ciobo. " I'll be interested in, obviously, having a close look at the actual wording of the apology, but the broad spirit of it, I'm supportive of."

Other opposition politicians, however, are strongly against offering an apology.

"In my view, it brings up a whole lot of other issues such as compensation, such as certain Aboriginal elders saying that we should promise never to take Aboriginal children again," said Denis Jensen.

The 'Stolen Generations' were young, mostly mixed race Aborigines forcibly taken from their homes by government authorities and sent to live with white families, where they grew up often unaware¹² of their indigenous background.

It was an official attempt to dilute¹³ indigenous culture and persisted until the 1970s. 

It remains a divisive issue.

Opposition lawmaker Bruce Scott says the policy did have its merits.

"I'm not into the business of inter-generational responsibility in the case of, this case, an apology," he said.  "Those people, and they were very well-meaning people, took many of those children in good faith believing that they were doing the right thing and that they thought that that would give them the best chance in life."

The 'Stolen Generations' have often complained of an inner emptiness and trauma¹⁴ they could not understand until the truth of their removal from their families emerged years later. 

Christine King, who was taken away as a young child, welcomes the government apology.

"To me, it means that my mother has lived her whole life under this policy from when she was taken when she was four
years old and now that she is in her 80s, she will hear the Government say, 'I'm sorry' and it means that all the other people in my family who were taken away, including my sister and I, will be able to have that personal healing," she said.

Other members of the 'Stolen Generations' want more than just a formal apology.  They are also seeking compensation,
which the Rudd government has ruled out, meaning the issue is likely to remain controversial.

Cecil Bowden, 68, who was taken from his Aboriginal family as a baby, says he should be compensated¹⁵ for the mistreatment he endured.

"Constantly flogged - if you got into strife¹⁶ or anything, they'd line all the boys up," recalled Bowden.  "There would be 60 or 70 of us all lined up and you had to walk the line, you know, and every boy had to punch you.  So, by the time you got to the end of the line you're black and blue and bleeding all over, you know, and it was racism¹⁷ for no reason whatsoever¹⁸, you know."   

REPORTER:  When you look back over your life to date, Cecil, how do you think your experiences as a child in that very difficult situation in the boys' home affected¹⁹ you through your adult life?

BOWDEN:  "It's made me angry, very angry.  I've got a temper I still can't control.  I get into trouble a lot with that temper, you know, even as old as I am."  

Aborigines make up about two percent of Australia's population of 21 million.  They endure disproportionately high rates of ill-health, unemployment and imprisonment²⁰. 

Before 1967, Aborigines in some parts of the country were governed by laws covering wildlife and plants. 

A referendum that year gave indigenous people the same legal rights as everyone else. 

It's taken more than 40 years but Australia is on the verge²¹ of another historic moment that involves a simple, five-letter word - sorry.

1 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

2 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

3 colonization   

殖民地的开拓，殖民，殖民地化； 移殖

参考例句：

• Colonization took place during the Habsburg dynasty. 开拓殖民地在哈布斯堡王朝就进行过。
• These countries took part in the colonization of Africa. 这些国家参与非洲殖民地的开发。

4 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

5 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

6 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

7 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

8 contrition   

n.悔罪，痛悔

参考例句：

• The next day he'd be full of contrition,weeping and begging forgiveness.第二天，他就会懊悔不已，哭着乞求原谅。
• She forgave him because his contrition was real.她原谅了他是由于他的懊悔是真心的。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 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。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

13 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

14 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

15 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

16 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

17 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。

18 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

19 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

20 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

21 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。