VOA标准英语2012--US Civil Rights History Spawns Tourism

US Civil Rights History Spawns¹ Tourism

In Birmingham, Alabama, a battleground in the struggle for African American equality, some are capitalizing on so-called heritage tourism.
It was in this very city where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and others led peaceful demonstrations³ which turned violent when police used fire hoses and dogs against the demonstrators.
Many were wounded, thousands were arrested, and the images galvanized support for the bid to end racial discrimination.
Nearly 50 years later, people such as William Revill come, who traveled several hours to see to Birmingham's Civil Rights Institute, wants to learn about the battle for civil rights.
"Black people need to know the price that our people paid for us to be where we are today," he says. "It came with a price. Unfortunately what that price meant was that a lot of our people died."
Lawrence Pijeaux, president of the museum, shows the jail-cell door that once kept Rev². Dr. Martin Luther King behind bars.
"This is an extremely important artifact at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute," he says, explaining that it was behind this door that Dr. King wrote his famous "Letter From Birmingham Jail," considered by many one the most important document of the civil rights movement. "It's important that we have this institution here so that people not only in this country, but people from around the world, [can] learn about what happened in Birmingham."
Multimedia⁴ presentations, photographs and artifacts are used to document the African American struggle. For Ann Marie Wilson, visiting from London, the materials have the power to inform demonstrations against injustice⁵ that are unfolding in today's world.
"We have heard Alabama has been very significant in the integration⁶ process but also had a lot pain along its journey," she says. "I wanted to see what I could learn from that to see how peaceful demonstrations can enable a diverse population to live side by side in harmony."
"It kind of got emotional for me," says Vernon Roberts of New Jersey⁷, for whom the exhibits stir powerful memories. "It gave me the opportunity to want to bring more of my family, especially to have my children here so they can see the struggle that took place here."
Last year, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute attracted thousands of visitors. The hope is that even more will come this year.

1 spawns   

（鱼、蛙等的）子，卵( spawn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lava Spawns now require 15 attacks to replicate, up from 14. 火人现在需要攻击15下才会分裂，而不是14下。
• Idleness spawns discontent, whereas overwork leads to mental and physical exhaustion. 懒惰滋生不满，而过度工作导致精神和身体的疲劳。

2 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。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 multimedia   

adj.多种手段的，多媒体的；n.多媒体

参考例句：

• Multimedia is the combination of computer and video technology.多媒体是计算机和视频技术的结合。
• Adam raised the issue of multimedia applications and much useful discussion ensued.亚当提出了多媒体应用的问题，从而引发了许多有益的讨论。

5 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

6 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

7 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。