精美英文欣赏:马丁路德金纪念日

MLK Holiday CelebratesLate Civil Rights Leader

马丁路德金纪念日

Martin Luther King Jr.'s rise as a civil rights leader began in 1955 when he spearheaded the drive to desegregate public buses in Montgomery, Alabama.

1955年，马丁路德金在美国南部阿拉巴马州蒙哥马利市率先发起了一场运动，该运动旨在废除公共汽车上的种族歧视规定。从那时起，马丁路德金逐步跃升为一位民权领袖。

By August 1963, Reverend King's push for equal rights had become a national movement.

道1963年8月，金牧师为争取平等权利所做的努力已经扩展成为一场全国范围的运动。

That month, more than 250,000 people took part in the March on Washington led by King,

当时，超过25万人参加了由马丁路德金在首都华盛顿领导的游行。

it was designed to pressure lawmakers to pass a civil rights bill that would end racial discrimination.

该游行活动旨在向立法议员施压，要求通过民权法案，结束种族歧视。

Former civil rights activist¹ Roger Wilkins was there on the day marchers gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

前民权活动家罗杰·威尔金斯当时就在林肯纪念堂外聆听马丁路德金的讲话。

"It was a glorious warm summer day in which people were rejuvenated².

威尔金斯回忆道:“那是一个温和而美好的夏日，

And just a good feeling of a country coming together.

令人精神焕发，有一种全国团结一致的美好感觉。

You really felt, I did for the first time in my life,the weight of America's conscience."

我第一次感受道美国人道心的力量。”

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,but by the content of their character."

马丁路德金说:“我梦想有一天，我的四个孩子将在一个不是以他们的肤色，而是以他们的品格优劣来评价他们的国度里生活。”

It was these non-violent protests and his speeches that drove the civil rights movement forward,and kept the nation focused on the issue of equality.

正是这些非暴力的抗议活动和马丁路德金的讲话推动民权运动向前发展，并让全国都关注平等问题。

Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964,and that same year President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act and the following year the Voting Rights Act.

马丁路德金与1964年获得诺贝尔和平奖，同年，林登·约翰逊总统签署了《民权法案》，次年，他签署了《选举法案》。

The measures outlawed³ racial segregation⁴ in public places and discriminatory practices that prevented blacks from voting.

这些举措取缔了公共场合的种族歧视政策，也制止了狠人不能参加选举的歧视行为。

Martin Luther King's final campaign was in Memphis, Tennessee in March and April of 1968.

1968年三四月间，在田纳西州的孟菲斯，马丁路德金领导了最后一次活动。

He led a march in support of striking sanitation⁵ workers.

他带队游行，支持环卫工人的罢工。

But the protest turned violent when young militants⁶ began looting stores.

但这场抗议活动最终由于年轻激进分子抢劫商店而演变成暴力冲突。

King was distraught and vowed⁷ to return to Memphis to lead a peaceful march.

马丁路德金焦虑万分，发誓要重返孟菲斯发起一场和平游行。

On the night of April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel,King was assassinated⁸.

1968年4月4日，马丁路德金在洛林汽车旅馆被人暗杀。

Forty years later,King's life is celebrated⁹ with many of his dreams realized,including the election of Barack Obama as the nation's first African American president.

40年后的今天，令人欣慰的是马丁路德金的许多梦想都得以实现，包括奥巴马成功当选为第一位非洲裔美国总统。

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 rejuvenated   

更生的

参考例句：

• He was rejuvenated by new hope. 新的希望又使他充满了活力。
• She looked rejuvenated after plastic surgery. 她做完整形手术后显得年轻了。

3 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

4 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

5 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

8 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

9 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。