美国国家公共电台 NPR--A civil rights leader was able to balance standing up for himself and survival

A civil rights leader was able to balance standing¹ up for himself and survival

Transcript²

In this week's StoryCorps, a former aide to Martin Luther King Jr. talks about his career as a civil rights leader.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

DWANE BROWN, HOST:

Time now for StoryCorps. Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a story from a civil rights leader who died during the pandemic. Reverend Harry³ Blake, who worked alongside Dr. King, came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Monica. He told her about the first time he took a stand over wages in a cotton field in Louisiana. And a note for our listeners - this story contains racist⁴ language.

HARRY BLAKE: I guess I was 11, 12 years old. We were field workers. The adults said, we're going to protest. They sat down at the end of the row. Well, time passed on, and we saw the owner of the plantation⁵ was coming toward us. And next thing I knew, everybody was back in the field.

MONICA MICKLE: (Laughter).

BLAKE: I didn't go back. And he scolded me and said, I'm gonna tell your daddy about you. He'll straighten you out. I said, well, sir, we said we weren't going to go back until we told you our grievances⁶, so that's why I'm sitting now.

MICKLE: Even at 11 years old, you had that boldness.

BLAKE: My dad taught me to say what I meant and mean what I say. He knew how to say, yes, sir; no, sir - tip his hat. That was his technique for surviving. But he never feared anyone. I remember he sideswiped a white man's car, and the white man came to my daddy's car and started cursing him and told him, I'll kill you, so and so and so. My daddy's words were, well, sir, I can't keep you from killing⁷ me, but you won't kill a nigga who's scared. And of course, the white man backed off.

MICKLE: Right, right. Wow. That's not one I had ever heard.

BLAKE: Yeah. When I decided⁸ to work for Martin King, I went to talk with my parents, particularly my dad, to say to them that my life would be threatened and that I might even lose my life doing this. And not only would my life be jeopardized⁹, because I was his son, he might be. And my dad said to me, I would be disappointed if you made a different decision. And I will never forget that.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

BROWN: That was the Reverend Harry Blake talking with his daughter, Monica. He spent decades as a pastor¹⁰ and civil rights worker in Shreveport, La. He survived police beatings, arrests and even an assassination¹¹ attempt. He died in 2020 at the age of 85. His StoryCorps conversation is archived at the Library of Congress.

1 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。

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 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 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。

5 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

6 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 jeopardized   

危及，损害( jeopardize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The soldier jeopardized his life to save his comrade. 这个士兵冒生命的危险救他的同志。
• The occasional failed project or neglected opportunity does not jeopardized overall progress. 偶然失败的项目或失误的机会并没有影响总的进展。

10 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。

11 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。