VOA标准英语2012--Death of US College Band Member Spotlights Hazing

Death of US College Band Member Spotlights¹ Hazing²

The Florida A&M University marching band is among the best in the country. Its highly regarded reputation, however, is now badly tarnished³ amid allegations of a widespread hazing scandal.

"No one could have expected that his college experience would include being pummeled to death," said Florida State Attorney Lawson Lamar. He said that at least 13 students brutally⁴ beat drum major Robert Champion in a hazing ritual on a bus last year. Investigators⁵ believe Champion was forced to walk through a gauntlet of fists. 

"I have come to believe that hazing is a term for bullying⁶. It's bullying with a tradition, a tradition that we cannot bare in America," said Lamar.

Sociologists say hazing has long been a problem in marching bands - particularly at Florida A&M and other historically black colleges in the south. Psychologist Susan Limpkins says hazing takes on many forms.

"They do paddling, they do branding, they do eating broken glass," she said.

Analysts⁷ say hundreds of thousands of students are hazed⁹ every year, and sometime it goes too far.

"It is accepted. It's now becoming a part of a tradition and the question is, 'do you maintain this tradition, knowing that psychologically they may be harming individuals that aren't going to come forward?'" said Social Worker Julie Berg-Einhorn.

Hazing is seen in many different types of social groups, including sports teams, military units, and among college fraternities and sororities. The practice is often prohibited by law and can comprise either physical or psychological abuse.

"Hazing is the idea of belonging to a sub-group, either professionally or socially and sometimes ethnically¹⁰, people that have the same values as you do," said University of Florida Sociology Professor Frederick Shenkman.

The often secretive and sometimes violent practice is a growing problem on high school and college campuses. But Robert Champion's death stunned¹¹ the nation and exposed hazing traditions among marching bands at some colleges. Longtime Florida A&M band director Julian White, who was fired, said he tried to stop the hazing. 

"I talked with students daily and said don't haze⁸, don't haze," said White.

But some students say it was tolerated. 

"Everybody on campus is pretty much aware of it. I mean, you don't say much about it, because it's a secret. It's within that organization," said one student.

Popular university marching bands can generate millions of dollars for a school. And band members, especially at black colleges, often are treated like celebrities¹². Robert Champion's mother says hazing rituals have been a part of the marching band's culture for decades. 

"Everyone that was involved, the administrators¹³ they knew this culture existed in the school," said Pam Champion,

Florida A&M officials have suspended the band and they say the university is working vigorously to eradicate¹⁴ hazing. 

1 spotlights   

n.聚光灯（的光）( spotlight的名词复数 )；公众注意的中心v.聚光照明( spotlight的第三人称单数 )；使公众注意，使突出醒目

参考例句：

• The room was lit by spotlights. 房间被聚光灯照亮。
• The dazzle of the spotlights made him ill at ease. 聚光灯的耀眼强光使他局促不安。 来自辞典例句

2 hazing   

n.受辱，被欺侮v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件）

参考例句：

• With labor, the hazing period ends. 费了好大力气，痛苦的时期终于过了。 来自互联网
• A high-gloss paint surface is one that directly reflects light with minimum hazing or diffusion. 高度光洁的漆表面可以直接反射光源。 来自互联网

3 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

4 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

9 hazed   

v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的过去式和过去分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件）

参考例句：

• I've had a' most enough of Cap'n Smollett; he's hazed me long enough, by thunder! 我已经受够了这个遭雷劈的斯摩莱特船长，再也不愿意听他使唤了！ 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• His eyes hazed over when he thought of her. 他想起她来时，眼前一片模糊。 来自互联网

10 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

11 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

12 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

13 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

14 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。