美国国家公共电台 NPR Moms Who Lost Daughters In Truck Underride Collisions Push for Greater Safety

 

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

Now this Mother's Day, a story about mothers on a mission. They were united in grief after losing children in accidents involving large trucks. They're pushing Congress to toughen truck safety standards, hoping to save others from suffering the same loss. And as NPR's Geoff Bennett reports, they're finding out just how difficult it can be to turn ideas into reality on Capitol Hill.

GEOFF BENNETT, BYLINE¹: Four years ago, Marianne Karth was driving with three of her nine children from their home in North Carolina to a family wedding in Texas when an 18-wheeler sideswiped their blue Crown Victoria, spinning it around and then hitting it again, hurling² the rear of the car under another truck. Sitting in the back were her two girls.

MARIANNE KARTH: It's like they were here just yesterday, and they were so full of life.

BENNETT: Karth remembers 17-year-old AnnaLeah as the creative one. Mary, she says, was a ham, the life of the party. And in her 13 years, Mary never once cut her hair.

KARTH: Actually, she had her first haircut when the emergency room nurse cut her braids off to take care of her because her face was just smashed. And they saved it for me. I'm so thankful that they saved the braids because - just a wonderful memory of Mary.

BENNETT: In 2004, Lois Durso's daughter, Roya, was driving in a blizzard³ when her car skidded⁴ out of control and slid under the side of a truck. Roya died instantly.

LOIS DURSO: Oh, she was beautiful. She had a heart to match. She was 26 years old, just starting her life.

BENNETT: Durso and Karth have since devoted⁵ themselves to preventing what are known as truck underride collisions. It's what happens when a car collides with a truck and gets lodged⁶ underneath⁷. The metal barriers you see hanging from the backs of most large trucks - those are underride guards, and they're supposed to keep smaller vehicles from sliding under.

But the current safety standard was issued nearly two decades ago. Many are weak and can crumble⁸ upon impact. At a trucking industry conference just months ago, the two moms met for the first time. They say their bond was immediate⁹.

KARTH: She asked me all kinds of questions about my daughters. And man, I was crying, you know, just with a shared comfort and grief and getting to know one another really quickly. And then we go around at this conference and, you know, talking to all these trucking people. And that was just two months ago, and we're like sisters and best friends.

DURSO: Buddies¹⁰ here, you know?

BENNETT: Buddies and now partners in a campaign aimed at urging Congress and the Department of Transportation to improve federal guidelines for rear underride guards and to require guards on the sides of trucks, too. The two moms wrote a bill and named it in honor of their daughters. It calls for comprehensive underride protection on all trucks. In just the last three weeks, they've made six self-funded trips to Washington to meet with lawmakers from both parties.

KARTH: OK. And I'm Marianne Karth. Hi.

DURSO: I'm Lois Durso. Hi.

(CROSSTALK)

BENNETT: They say the response so far has been positive, but they've got plenty of hurdles¹¹ to clear. Joan Claybrook is with the Truck Safety Coalition¹². She says advocates like Karth and Durso are competing against a well-funded trucking industry that has affiliated¹³ groups pushing their interests in all 50 states.

JOAN CLAYBROOK: And so they're just everyplace. And they're powerful in their home districts, so members of Congress pay attention to them. The truck safety victims have never been organized until we started the Truck Safety Coalition, and they do live all over the country. But they don't have the economic clout¹⁴ that the trucking industry does.

BENNETT: The American Trucking Associations says the industry hasn't come to an agreement on underride guards. Some truck companies have already added extra protection on their own. Meanwhile, Lois Durso says she's prepared for the long fight.

DURSO: One day, Marianne called and she said, why are we doing this? And I said, because we are two moms that's sick and tired of waiting.

BENNETT: She says they're clear-eyed about the political realities their legislation faces and are no less determined¹⁵.

Geoff Bennett, NPR News, the Capitol.

1 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。

2 hurling   

n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• The boat rocked wildly, hurling him into the water. 这艘船剧烈地晃动，把他甩到水中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Fancy hurling away a good chance like that, the silly girl! 想想她竟然把这样一个好机会白白丢掉了，真是个傻姑娘！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

4 skidded   

v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• The car skidded and hit a lamp post. 那辆汽车打滑撞上了路灯杆。
• The car skidded and overturned. 汽车打滑翻倒了。

5 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

6 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

8 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

9 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。

10 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句

11 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

12 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

13 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

14 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

15 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。