VOA标准英语2013--India's Youth Keep Spotlight on Violence Against Women

 

India's Youth Keep Spotlight¹ on Violence Against Women

Nearly a hundred strangers from all over the city have come together here with one message: "Wake up New Delhi and rise up against violence,” chant the protesters.

This flash mob is just one of many gathering² Thursday in the Indian capital as part of the worldwide “One Billion Rising” movement - highlighting the number of women who are survivors³ of abuse.

When the call went out over Facebook, 25-year-old fashion designer Shruti Singh knew she had to take part in order to challenge long-held views about women in Indian society.

“If we don’t walk the talk, it’s not going to make any impact, and the patriarchal mindset and the systems that have been in place for thousands of years are not going to change overnight or with one protest," said Singh. "It’s a starting of a revolution, it’s like another struggle for freedom, freedom of women from oppression.”

This year, in particular, the call for action resonates for many in New Delhi. On December 16, a young woman was brutally⁴ beaten and gang-raped aboard a bus. She died later of massive internal injuries.

Immediately after the attack, thousands took to the streets demanding greater protection for women. And two months later, young professionals like Sakshi Bhalla - who choreographed⁶ this flash mob dance - are trying to keep the issue of violence against women alive in the public mindset.

“We reached a point where everyone realized that this is it, there was no way that they were going to deal with this anymore and the idea of everybody calling Delhi a ‘rape⁵ city’ was really not okay, and I think everybody’s rising up now to make sure we turn it into a safe city,” said Bhalla.

And it isn’t just young women who are taking up the cause. Second-year college student Mohammad Danish said the issue of women’s rights and protection should resonate with every man.

“If we talk about women, I also have two kinds of women [in my house], first of all, my sister and my mom and if we think about this kind of rape and all, we also think about our family,” Danish said.

The murder trial of five of the six suspects accused in the gang-rape continues this week in a fast-track court, and many here plan to take their message to parliament. 

Lawmakers are set to discuss a new criminal law targeting violence against women. Rights groups say it falls short in addressing the issues of marital⁷ rape and police accountability, and focuses too much on punishment and not enough on prevention. 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

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 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

6 choreographed   

v.设计舞蹈动作( choreograph的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• There was some carefully choreographed flag-waving as the President drove by. 总统的车经过时，人们按精心编排的动作挥舞着旗帜。
• Achim had choreographed the dance in Act II himself. 阿希姆自己设计了第2幕的舞蹈动作。 来自辞典例句

7 marital   

adj.婚姻的，夫妻的

参考例句：

• Her son had no marital problems.她的儿子没有婚姻问题。
• I regret getting involved with my daughter's marital problems;all its done is to bring trouble about my ears.我后悔干涉我女儿的婚姻问题, 现在我所做的一切将给我带来无穷的烦恼。