美国国家公共电台 NPR--Honoring Juneteenth with a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation

Honoring Juneteenth with a reading of the Emancipation¹ Proclamation

Transcript²

NPR staff members read the Emancipation Proclamation to celebrate Juneteenth.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Today, the federal government observes Juneteenth. The holiday marks the arrival of U.S. Army troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. The troops told some of the last enslaved Americans that they were free. They were enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation, in which President Abraham Lincoln decreed some enslaved people to be free on January 1, 1863. We're about to hear that document in its entirety. But first, we want to hear from Nathan Connolly, an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University.

Good morning.

NATHAN CONNOLLY: Good morning.

FADEL: So what did the Emancipation Proclamation actually do?

CONNOLLY: So the emancipation of African Americans from slavery was a very active process. The initial Emancipation Proclamation came as a consequence of almost two years of people fleeing plantations³. So by the time the proclamation was formally issued in January of '63, it was there to effectively punish states that were in rebellion and encourage those who believed in the military power and potential of African-descended people to basically know that there was going to be freedom at the end of this military struggle, or at least as a critical part of it.

FADEL: We'll hear in a moment, the proclamation excludes some areas of the country. Why is that?

CONNOLLY: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, West Virginia, even Tennessee, which at the time was, you know, a Confederate state but was under union control - they were all exempted⁴. There's a way in which you don't want to punish your allies or those who are already part of the Union cause. You want to make it very clear that this provision is there for your military opponents. Once the Emancipation Proclamation was written, it needed a lot of help to really do the complete job.

FADEL: So let's talk about the significance of Juneteenth. What does Juneteenth mean, and how do we celebrate it?

CONNOLLY: So going as far back as Frederick Douglass' very famous speech in 1852, "What To The Slave Is The 4th Of July?," it was very clear that the nation's Independence Day was not the same thing as a Black Independence Day. Juneteenth is a kind of acknowledgement that July 4 was incomplete, but also that it required very active efforts on the parts of everyday Black people, the military and the federal government that there is a kind of frailty⁵ to freedom.

FADEL: Nathan Connolly is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University. Thank you so much.

CONNOLLY: Thank you.

FADEL: Now NPR staff read the Emancipation Proclamation.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE⁶: (Reading) By the president of the United States of America, a proclamation. Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the president of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit...

LINDSAY TOTTY, BYLINE: (Reading) That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free...

KELLEY DICKENS, BYLINE: (Reading) And the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval⁷ authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

RODNEY CARMICHAEL, BYLINE: (Reading) That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States...

JUANA SUMMERS, BYLINE: (Reading) And the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified⁸ voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony⁹, be deemed conclusive¹⁰ evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States.

DWANE BROWN, BYLINE: (Reading) Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue¹¹ of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion...

JAY WILLIAMS, BYLINE: (Reading) Do, on this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit...

TONYA MOSLEY, BYLINE: (Reading) Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama...

KAREN GRIGSBY BATES, BYLINE: (Reading) Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely¹² as if this proclamation were not issued.

KORVA COLEMAN, BYLINE: (Reading) And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free...

GENE¹³ DEMBY, BYLINE: (Reading) And that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.

CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE: (Reading) And I hereby enjoin¹⁴ upon the people so declared to be free to abstain¹⁵ from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor¹⁶ faithfully for reasonable wages.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: (Reading) And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison¹⁷ forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels¹⁸ of all sorts in said service.

AYESHA RASCOE, BYLINE: (Reading) And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke¹⁹ the considerate judgment²⁰ of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty²¹ God.

WALTER RAY WATSON, BYLINE: (Reading) In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed²². Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh. By the president, Abraham Lincoln

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

FADEL: A reading of the Emancipation Proclamation for Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Black Independence Day.

1 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

4 exempted   

使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His bad eyesight exempted him from military service. 他因视力不好而免服兵役。
• Her illness exempted her from the examination. 她因病而免试。

5 frailty   

n.脆弱；意志薄弱

参考例句：

• Despite increasing physical frailty,he continued to write stories.尽管身体越来越虛弱，他仍然继续写小说。
• He paused and suddenly all the frailty and fatigue showed.他顿住了，虚弱与疲惫一下子显露出来。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

8 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

10 conclusive   

adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的

参考例句：

• They produced some fairly conclusive evidence.他们提供了一些相当确凿的证据。
• Franklin did not believe that the French tests were conclusive.富兰克林不相信这个法国人的实验是结论性的。

11 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

14 enjoin   

v.命令；吩咐；禁止

参考例句：

• He enjoined obedience on the soldiers.他命令士兵服从。
• The judge enjoined him from selling alcohol.法官禁止他卖酒。

15 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

16 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

17 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。

18 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

20 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

21 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

22 affixed   

adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章）

参考例句：

• The label should be firmly affixed to the package. 这张标签应该牢牢地贴在包裹上。
• He affixed the sign to the wall. 他将标记贴到墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》