【英语趣味课堂】抗议-Protests

Todd: OK, so Julia, I thought we would talk about social unrest.

Julia: OK.

 

Todd: So recently in the news there has been a lot of protest, there's been some riots and I believe in your country you actually had riots recently.

 

Julia: We did, yeah, in the summer last year, yeah.

 

Todd: That was in London?

 

Julia: That was in London and in a few of the other cities around the UK as well. It spread to other cities but mainly centered in London, yeah.

 

Todd: So what was your perspective of the riots?

 

Julia: Well we, actually, we were just visiting home and so we just arrived in London right as that all kicked off. So actually I was quite shocked and of course a lot of my friends here were a little bit worried because they knew we were flying into London and London is suddenly all over the news and not in a good way. A lot of violence and quite shocking imagines. You don't think, when you think of London you don't think of people wearing balaclavas and smashing windows and behaving in this violent way.

 

Todd: So it was pretty shocking?

 

Julia: It was quite shocking but after being there I think within a week it had calmed down and I think the response from the police was very good and from the public was very good and from the media generally it was also very good so it wasn't such a big deal in the end. It was, it wasn't a political movement, it wasn't people protesting anything specific, it was just a kind of unbridled violence so it didn't gain any support.

 

Todd: Right, so it was just basically kind of releasing maybe youthful angst or kind of built up aggression¹?

 

Julia: Tensions of some, yeah, some kind but because it was all focused around consumer goods and a desire to rob stores of products like shoes and TVs and nobody really took it very seriously. You know, I want a pair of Nikes so I'm going to smash this window doesn't really gain much momentum² as a movement.

 

Todd: So there was a lot of opportunism?

 

Julia: Absolutely. I think that's pretty much all it was, yeah.

 

Todd: Right. So now you have the Olympics coming up, do you think it will happen again?

 

Julia: We do. No, I don't think it will, no, no. I don't think so, no. I think around the Olympics there's an incredible amount of optimism and maybe even national pride.

 

Todd: No, you know what we can't say, this is going to air after the Olympics, so I'll just say do you think it will happen again in the future? Just don't refer to the Olympics.

 

Julia: OK.

 

Todd: So do you think it's going to happen again in the future?

 

Julia: No, I don't think so, no, because of the way the public responded and the way it was handled, I don't think it's the kind of thing that would gain momentum again. I don't, I think it was a one off.

 

Todd: Yeah, a one and done deal?

 

Julia: I think so, yeah.

 

Todd: Well that's good.

 

Julia: I hope so.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

balaclava

 

When you think of London, you don't think of people wearing balaclavas.

 

A 'balaclava' is a tight hat that goes over your head, face and all the way down your neck. Notice the following:

 

The shopkeeper became very nervous when a man walked in with a balaclava over his face.

You should probably wear a balaclava, because it's very cold outside.

shocking

 

 

There was a lot of violence and quite shocking images.

 

Something 'shocking' surprises or horrifies³ you. Notice the following:

 

Michael Jackson's death was shocking to people all over the world.

The fact that Italy lost the game was shocking.

unbridled violence

 

It was just kind of unbridled violence, so it didn't gain any support.

 

When something is 'unbridled,' it is not controlled or restrained in anyway. Notice the following:

 

He's having problems at school because of his unbridled violence.

It isn't safe to travel there right now. There have been big problems with unbridled violence.

angst

 

 

It was basically releasing youthful angst and built up aggression.

 

'Angst' is a feeling of anxiety or anguish⁴. Notice the following:

 

He was filled with angst when he was a teenager.

Her angst makes her not much fun to be around.

gain momentum

 

 

Violence because you want consumer goods doesn't gain much momentum as a movement.

 

When a 'movement' or cause 'gains momentum,' it gains force or becomes stronger because people find out about it and are supportive.  Notice the following:

 

There have been very few social movements that have gained this much momentum in such a short period of time.

They have been waiting for their product sales to gain momentum.

opportunism

 

 

So, there was a lot of opportunism?

 

'Opportunism' is when someone takes advantage of a situation for his own personal benefit, usually sacrificing ethics⁵ or morals. Notice the following:

 

Most of what she has accomplished⁶ has been because of opportunism, not because of personal ability.

This is the land of opportunism and opportunity. 

1 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 horrifies   

v.使震惊，使感到恐怖( horrify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The Nazi oppression of the Jews horrifies me. 纳粹对犹太人的迫害使我反感。 来自辞典例句
• That's a prospect that horrifies Net purists. 这种前景让网络净化者感到不安。 来自互联网

4 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

5 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

6 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。