VOA慢速英语2011--European Far Right Trying to Erase Violent Past

European Far Right Trying to Erase¹ Violent Past

 

Immigration is one of the hottest topics in Europe today. And it's an issue giving far right grassroots organizations and political parties momentum² in European governments and on the Internet. An examination of one group's agenda, and the evolution of groups like it, provide a closer look at this issue.

The English Defense³ League [EDL] is shutting down one of London's busiest thoroughfares - the street that's home to Parliament and Westminster Abbey. With a massive police escort, they are making their message clear.

“Stop the Islamification of Great Britain,” shout some of the marchers.

It’s a nationalistic agenda - the same one many far right groups are pushing in Europe.

The EDL marches its message past the British parliament, but it has no official position in government - unlike many other far-right groups.

They claim they are non-violent. And the group has its own security detail - called the EDL Stewards⁴ - who say they are there to keep peace. They don neon yellow and orange vests during rallies.

This protest - lead by the women's faction⁵ of the EDL - was mostly peaceful.

Members of the English Defense League [EDL] join Swedish nationalist right-wing groups during a demonstration6 to protest the building of a new mosque7 in Gothenburg, Sweden, May 2011. (file photo)

But EDL rallies often end in violence. Extra police forces have flanked recent protests, and they have had more peaceful endings.

The group says it isn't racist⁸. But founding member Gail Speight believes Muslims are trying to change British society, not integrate. This irritates her.

“I’ve got Sikh friends. I’ve got Black friends. Muslims have a different perspective on things,” said Speight.

The EDL started in 2009. But European far right expert Andrea Mammone said their ideology⁹ is not new.

“The overall universe, galaxy¹⁰ of the extreme right, is trying to build their identity, always over the years, since Fascism, inter-world Fascism, having an enemy, having someone who is different, having someone who is the other,” said Mammone.

Max Levitas knows what it's like to be the other. As a teenager in 1936, he and his neighbors clashed with police in East London to stop a Fascist¹¹ march through their largely Jewish neighborhood.

“There were thousands of people in the Cable Street area and the police charged the people in order to clear Cable Street for the Fascists¹²,” said Levitas.

It's now known as the Battle of Cable Street. Levitas believes not much has changed between the Fascists then and the EDL today.

"The EDL is a fascist organization. They should be banned," he said.

Journalist K. Biswas is writing a book about the European far right. He said the far right today can trace its roots to 20th century fascism, but is not fascist.

“What these parties have tried is to remove themselves from their violent past. They have actively¹³ stood against anti-Semitism. And they are seeking change through democratic means,” said Biswas.

And some EDL members say a role in government is something they hope to put on their agenda in the future.

1 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 stewards   

（轮船、飞机等的）乘务员( steward的名词复数 )； （俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的）管理员； （大型活动的）组织者； （私人家中的）管家

参考例句：

• The stewards all wore armbands. 乘务员都戴了臂章。
• The stewards will inspect the course to see if racing is possible. 那些干事将检视赛马场看是否适宜比赛。

5 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

6 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

7 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

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 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

10 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

11 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

12 fascists   

n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists. 老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。