VOA标准英语2015--巴尔的摩反警察暴力抗议第五天

Baltimore Sees Fifth Day of Police Protests 巴尔的摩反警察暴力抗议第五天

BALTIMORE—

Hundreds of protesters gathered Thursday in downtown Baltimore, in the eastern U.S. state of Maryland, to again demand changes to the justice system following the death of a 25-year-old man taken into police custody¹ last week.

Officials arrested two people for disorderly conduct in what was otherwise a loud but peaceful protest as the city awaits more information from authorities about how Freddie Gray died.

With hands and voices raised, demonstrators marched for hours around Baltimore.

Stopped traffic

Starting between City Hall and police headquarters, the crowd stopped traffic to demand accountability from local officials for what they allege² was an act of police brutality³.

Among the protesters: Pastor⁴ Jamal Bryant, who helped organize the event. He wants improvements for the majority-black-city's residents, and changes across the country.

"This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. This isn't a new incident. We're seeing the same thing from Sanford, Florida, to Ferguson, Missouri [and] now right here in Baltimore that there's got to be an overhaul⁵ of the complete system," Bryant said.

Also at the rally was Kiona Mack, who pulled out her phone to record as police arrested Gray on April 12 and dragged him to a police van.

"There's a lot of Freddie Grays and this is not the first time that the police violated somebody's rights and murdered somebody," said Mack, of Sandtown.

Later in the afternoon, area families joined vocal⁶ but nonviolent protesters outside the heavily guarded police station, just blocks from where Gray tried to run from police before he was handcuffed.

The demonstration⁷ is a teaching moment for Ahmed Royalty⁸ and his 11-year-old son.

"My father has brought me here today to learn about racism⁹ that actually still exists to this very past day, 'cuz [because] if I didn't know about this, then I wouldn't have been alive right now," said King Zahir Royalty, 11, of Sandtown.

His father, Ahmed, said, "The goal is to make sure that by all means within my realm that my son is not the next one, or myself."

Answers from police

Baltimore police officials say they will have more answers for the public next week about what happened to Gray while he was in their custody.

No matter the outcome of the local and federal investigations¹⁰ under way, local NAACP President Tessa Aston-Hill said massive change is needed to undo¹¹ the damage to the community.

"It didn't have to happen. If people get locked up, then they need to get taken to central booking and not to the morgue," Aston-Hill said.

1 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

2 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

3 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

4 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

5 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

6 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

7 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。

8 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

9 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。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。