美国国家公共电台 NPR--How Jordan Neely's death fits into issues of health, homelessness and public safety

How Jordan Neely's death fits into issues of health, homelessness and public safety

Transcript¹

A Black man who was homeless was choked to death by a white man on a New York City subway train. The incident is another flashpoint in the discussion of crime, race, mental illness and homelessness.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Outrage² is growing over the death of a 30-year-old Black man on a New York City subway train on Monday. The incident is proving to be a flashpoint in a larger conversation about race, homelessness, mental health and public safety.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

There are reports that say Jordan Neely, who was homeless at the time, was yelling on Manhattan's F train. A white man who has not been identified by police then put him in a chokehold. Two other passengers restrained him. The city's medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, but no one has been charged with the crime.

FADEL: To talk about this, we have NPR's Brian Mann.

Good morning.

BRIAN MANN, BYLINE³: Hi, Leila.

FADEL: So, Brian, can we expect police to make an arrest in this case?

MANN: That's not certain at this time. The man who choked Neely to death was questioned by police and then released. So far, he's still free; no charges filed. There are two investigations⁴ underway, one by the NYPD and other by the Manhattan district attorney's office, but we just don't know yet how long that's going to take.

FADEL: Before we go any further, I want to know more about Jordan Neely, the man that was killed. What do we know about the life he lived, who he was?

MANN: Yeah. It's a really sad story. He was a street performer. He dressed like Michael Jackson - you know, moonwalking and dancing in exchange for tips. Friends, though, also described him to our member station WNYC as deeply troubled. His mother was murdered by a boyfriend when Jordan Neely was just 14. He then spent time in foster care and as an adult was not able to find stable housing. One witness to Monday's violence on this subway car told media outlets⁵ that Neely was shouting about needing food and being willing to die.

FADEL: Now, different politicians are reacting and framing Jordan Neely's death very differently. Let's start with Mayor Eric Adams. What's he saying about this?

MANN: Yeah. Mayor Adams, who's Black, is really the one top Democrat⁶ in this Democratically controlled city who hasn't condemned⁸ the violence. You know, what was captured on the video here is this white man put Jordan Neely in a chokehold. The medical examiner says compression of the neck is what killed Neely. What we don't know yet is what led up to that confrontation⁹. That's not on the videotape we've seen. Mayor Adams, who's a former police officer, says the public should wait for investigations to be finished. And, Leila, he's also cited this incident as justification¹⁰ for his controversial effort to move mentally ill people off the streets and out of train stations. He's proposed using involuntary hospitalization in some cases to do that. In a statement, Adams said, "we know there were serious mental health issues in play here."

FADEL: Now, other elected officials are condemning¹¹ police for not arresting the white man who choked Neely, who was Black, to death. What are they saying?

MANN: Yeah. New York City Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also a Democrat, took a shot directly at the mayor about this. She called this incident a murder. And she wrote, I have yet to hear a real explanation from any official hesitating to condemn⁷ the killing¹² of Jordan Neely about what makes condemning this violence so complicated. Those are her words. New York City Council President Adrienne Adams also issued a statement saying Neely's killing and the law enforcement response reflect, quote, "racism¹³ that continues to permeate¹⁴ through our society."

FADEL: And how does Jordan Neely's killing fit into the wider conversation about people who are unhoused, public safety?

MANN: You know, this really is the major political issue in New York City right now. Republicans, you'll remember, did really well in the midterms last year campaigning on public safety and crime. Mayor Adams has made this a major issue for his administration. And a lot of New Yorkers clearly are worried about people on the streets and on subway trains who are experiencing homelessness or mental illness or addiction¹⁵, despite the fact, statistically¹⁶, that New York City is very safe. So, you know, the questions in this case will be whether Neely did anything threatening that might justify¹⁷ this use of force by the other commuter¹⁸. But the wider question here is, how does this city help people who are struggling with mental illness and homelessness before incidents like this occur?

FADEL: NPR's Brian Mann.

Thanks, Brian.

MANN: Thank you.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

10 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

11 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 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。

13 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。

14 permeate   

v.弥漫，遍布，散布；渗入，渗透

参考例句：

• Water will easily permeate a cotton dress.水很容易渗透棉布衣服。
• After a while it begins to permeate through your skin.过了一会，它会开始渗入你的皮肤。

15 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

16 statistically   

ad.根据统计数据来看，从统计学的观点来看

参考例句：

• The sample of building permits is larger and therefore, statistically satisfying. 建筑许可数的样本比较大，所以统计数据更令人满意。
• The results of each test would have to be statistically independent. 每次试验的结果在统计上必须是独立的。

17 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

18 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。