美国国家公共电台 NPR--Charlottesville was a wake-up call for many about the white supremacy movement

Charlottesville was a wake-up call for many about the white supremacy¹ movement

Transcript²

Racial justice activists³ say the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., marked a turning point that emboldened⁴ far-right political violence — including the Jan. 6th violence.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

It's been five years since a violent and deadly white nationalist rally shocked Charlottesville, Va. One woman was killed and dozens of people were injured when a white supremacist drove his car through a crowd that was resisting the show of hate. Two state police officers who were responding that day were also killed in a helicopter crash. Racial justice activists say the events in Charlottesville marked a turning point that emboldened far-right political violence in the U.S., including the January 6 attack on the Capitol. NPR's Debbie Elliott has this report.

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, BYLINE⁵: Organizers targeted Charlottesville for the Unite the Right rally after the city voted to take down a Confederate statue, part of the town's reckoning with a fraught⁶ racial history. On Friday night, August 11, 2017, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen and other white supremacists marched on the University of Virginia campus carrying torches and terrorizing students.

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UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) You will not replace us. You will not replace us.

ELLIOTT: The next day, they rallied around the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in a downtown park but were met with resistance from hundreds of residents who rejected racism⁸.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) Nazi⁷ scum off our streets.

ELLIOTT: Violent clashes ensued. The governor declared a state of emergency, and state police shut down the rally.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: In the name of the commonwealth⁹, you are commanded to immediately disperse¹¹.

ELLIOTT: The move angered alt-right leader and rally organizer Richard Spencer.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RICHARD SPENCER: This is an absolute outrage¹². You're going to have to drag us out of here.

ELLIOTT: As demonstrators were pushed from the park, they dispersed¹³ through town, leading to pockets of violence and, ultimately, the deadly attack on a group of anti-racists. Neo-Nazi James Fields rammed¹⁵ his car into the crowd, injuring dozens of people and killing¹⁶ 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Today there's a memorial to Heyer next to the spot where she was killed. Her mother, Susan Bro, visits from time to time.

SUSAN BRO: I do. I come to remove dead flowers and make sure that the sidewalk's clear.

ELLIOTT: And to blow kisses, she says. She takes solace¹⁷ in all the messages posted on the brick walls, including gone but not forgotten and don't let hate be louder than love.

BRO: Yeah, and to see that people still interact with this tells me that the events of the day still matters.

ELLIOTT: Coming up on the five-year mark since Heather was killed is hard.

BRO: You know, the moods go up and down. And that's part of this, is now I know that this will come, this will go, and I'll be OK.

ELLIOTT: She started an educational foundation in Heather's name and has connected with other families across the country who are victims of hate crimes. They successfully lobbied Congress to pass a hate crime act that calls for stiffer penalties and provides incentives¹⁸ to better track hate crimes. Bro says that's a sign of progress, but she thinks more work is needed to combat a well-organized white supremacist movement, a movement she says she wasn't really aware of until her daughter was murdered for standing¹⁹ up to it. Bro says seeing the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 last year confirmed that reality.

BRO: You don't have to guess so much who's racist¹⁴, who's white supremacist, although there are some people who think, well, that was an isolated²⁰ incident, and it died down, but it's amazing how often that isolated incidents keeps happening.

ELLIOTT: Many activists see the terror here as a turning point for the nation.

APRIL MUNIZ: I think Charlottesville really was a catalyst²¹ for much of the white supremist chaos²² that has ensued since.

ELLIOTT: April Muniz was in the crowd when the neo-Nazi drove his car into counterprotesters.

MUNIZ: What I witnessed is something that just broke me, basically.

ELLIOTT: She suffered PTSD and panic attacks and was unable to work for a time, and she grew increasingly frustrated²³ that James Fields was the only person arrested in the immediate¹⁰ aftermath of the Unite the Right violence.

MUNIZ: Everybody left town. Who's going to be held responsible? And I just kept asking myself over and over as I was watching the days unfold and nothing was happening, and it kind of astounded²⁴ me.

ELLIOTT: James Fields was convicted on state murder and federal hate crime charges. When no criminal charges were brought against event organizers, some victims of the violence filed a civil lawsuit²⁵ against about two dozen white nationalist leaders, including Richard Spencer and Jason Kessler. A jury awarded more than $25 million in damages to the plaintiffs - among them, April Muniz. Holding organizers to account is an important step, says Ian Solomon, dean of the University of Virginia's School of Leadership and Public Policy. But he says it's unclear which direction the country will take.

IAN SOLOMON: Are the pro-democratic forces and pro-democracy movements going to prevail or not? There's no inevitability²⁶ to this democratic experiment.

ELLIOTT: Solomon, a former Obama administration official, says what happened in Charlottesville was a warning.

SOLOMON: One of the things about that weekend of 2017 was it revealed, it reenergized, it revived in many people's minds the reality that anti-democratic forces are ascendant in this country, that hate is quite brazen²⁷, to show its face proudly, confidently, with encouragement from elected officials.

ELLIOTT: At the time, President Trump²⁸ drew criticism when he talked about, quote, "very fine people on both sides," seemingly equating²⁹ neo-Nazis and white nationalists to the anti-racist demonstrators. Solomon says while the racial violence in Charlottesville was shocking for some, it was really a familiar refrain.

SOLOMON: We have a long rhythm in America of progress followed by backsliding or backlash to that progress. So for many, racial violence is nothing new. Racial intimidation³⁰ is nothing new. It has a long thread through American history, and yet for many, it was perceived as a wake-up call.

ELLIOTT: It was certainly a wake-up call for Susan Bro, who was forced, in the most painful way imaginable, to understand the consequences of hate. She's not sure how she'll mark five years since her daughter's murder, but she knows how she'd like the rest of the country to honor Heather's memory.

BRO: We've got to find a way to get along and have justice. People say we should just go back to getting along. No, because people were not getting treated right in that process. We need to find a way to do both.

ELLIOTT: Community events Friday include a walking vigil of remembrance and an interfaith service called Unite the Light.

Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Charlottesville, Va.

1 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

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 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

7 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

8 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。

9 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

12 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

13 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

14 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

15 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

18 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

19 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

20 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

21 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

22 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

23 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

25 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

26 inevitability   

n.必然性

参考例句：

• Evolutionism is normally associated with a belief in the inevitability of progress. 进化主义通常和一种相信进步不可避免的看法相联系。
• It is the tide of the times, an inevitability of history. 这是时代的潮流，历史的必然。

27 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

28 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

29 equating   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的现在分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• [ Ray ] I definitely started equating crossword puzzles with songwriting. 我已经干脆开始把字谜游戏等同于歌曲写作了。 来自电影对白
• But they have a hard time equating plural marriage with those evils. 但是他们很难把这种多妻婚姻与上面说的那些坏事联系起来。 来自互联网

30 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。