美国国家公共电台 NPR After One Year Of Headlines, #MeToo Is Everywhere

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The protests on Capitol Hill, coming years since the advent¹ of the #MeToo movement - the #MeToo movement began when many actresses, models, employees and others said they had sexually harassed² or assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, the film producer, allegations first reported by The New York Times and The New Yorker. Women in Hollywood were quick to take up the cause. Here's Oprah Winfrey at this year's Golden Globes.

(SOUNDBITE OF 75TH GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS TELECAST)

OPRAH WINFREY: ...Who take us to time when nobody ever has to say #MeToo again.

(APPLAUSE)

SIMON: NPR's Elizabeth Blair takes a look at the impact of #MeToo a year later.

ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE³: At Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., psychology⁴ teacher Sarah Soileau wants her students to consider some of the questions raised by the #MeToo movement, like consent.

SARAH SOILEAU: Should we be looking for the verbal consent?

MARCUS BRIGHT: Yeah.

BLAIR: Seventeen-year-old Marcus Bright shares what he's learned.

BRIGHT: What did we learn? Each base - each base - first base, second base, third base - each base, I'm asking.

SOILEAU: That is a good rule to live by. Each base, you better ask. All right?

BLAIR: Sarah Soileau says #MeToo has been an opportunity to talk about serious and relevant issues like consent and sexual harassment⁵.

SOILEAU: It's important to teach our students when they're younger so that they don't grow up in a culture where they think it's OK. I'm just trying to, like, give these girls and boys the voice to say, look. This is not OK. And I'm not going to tolerate it.

BLAIR: Women aren't tolerating it either. And the results are measurable. This year, sexual harassment reports to the EEOC, or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, have gone up 12 percent. That's after years of remaining steady. The EEOC is the government agency that handles workplace discrimination cases, including sexual harassment. The vast majority of those claims do not go to litigation. But even the number that do doubled this year. The EEOC's acting⁶ chair, Victoria Lipnic, says the interest generated by #MeToo has been enormous.

VICTORIA LIPNIC: We've had a five-fold increase of hits to our website of people looking for information about sexual harassment. We've done hundreds of training sessions for employers.

BLAIR: Here's something else that has changed as a result of #MeToo. There's real money available for women to get help, says Sharyn Tejani.

SHARYN TEJANI: I have been a civil rights lawyer and a women's rights lawyer for the last 20 years. And if you told me at any point in those 20 years that there would be money available to help people come forward, to help people with their cases, I would've told you that's just never going to happen.

BLAIR: Tejani is the director of the Time's Up Legal Defense⁷ Fund. It covers legal fees for alleged⁸ victims of sexual harassment. With big donors⁹ like Shonda Rhimes and Meryl Streep, the fund reached $21 million in just two months. At the same time, Tejani says there's only so much lawyers can do. Of the thousands of sexual harassment reports that come in, only a fraction get funded for legal help.

TEJANI: Some people are coming to us, you know, two years after this has happened to them, five years after this has happened to them, 10 years after this has happened to them - because they never felt comfortable coming forward before. And the way the law is, you have to report or bring a case within a certain amount of time. So some of those women are out of time. Some of those women who are coming forward are independent contractors¹⁰. And unless you live in certain states, you're not covered by a discrimination law. And so it's a matter of people coming forward. And we connect them to lawyers, and the lawyers help them when they can. But sometimes, there isn't something that can be done.

JO FREEMAN: You've got to plow¹¹ the ground and plant the seeds before you can reap the harvest.

BLAIR: Jo Freeman has written books on women's liberation and other social movements. To put #MeToo in context, she says look at the fight against racism¹².

FREEMAN: A hundred years ago, the culture condoned¹³ white supremacy¹⁴. We've been fighting that one for a hundred years. And I think we've made a lot of progress, but it ain't done yet.

BLAIR: Freeman says social movements need both the high-profile surges, like speeches and marches, but they also need the behind-the-scenes work, like the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund.

FREEMAN: That underneath-the-radar, behind-the-scenes organizing is extremely important. You know, what you see are the surge parts. What's catching¹⁵ our attention now is the vast turnout of people on the Kavanaugh thing.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD¹⁶: I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified.

BLAIR: Christine Blasey Ford's allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school is one of those surge moments, says Freeman. Hundreds of people protested Kavanaugh's nomination¹⁷ to the Supreme¹⁸ Court this week. They marched along the National Mall.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) This is what democracy looks like.

BLAIR: One of the protesters, Laura Miranda-Browne, came down from New Jersey¹⁹. She says her feelings have been all over the place these past few weeks.

LAURA MIRANDA-BROWNE: Appalled²⁰ and demoralized but also hopeful and motivated.

BLAIR: Miranda-Browne believes, without the support of the #MeToo movement, Ford might not have come forward at all.

MIRANDA-BROWNE: I really think that without the cultural conversation that's taking place at this moment, she wouldn't have had the courage to come forward. And knowing that she would have support from the millions of Americans...

BLAIR: But #MeToo also terrifies people. Allegations alone can get men fired. Many critics say the #MeToo movement has led to outsized punishments for small offenses²¹ like flirting²². This week, President Trump²³ said it's a very scary time for young men in America.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MIRANDA-BROWNE: My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now you're guilty until proven innocent. That is a very, very difficult standard.

BLAIR: The #MeToo backlash isn't just about the fear of false accusations²⁴. Heather Mac Donald is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of the book "The Diversity Delusion²⁵." She believes #MeToo assumes women in America have no voice.

HEATHER MAC DONALD: We live in a very tolerant society. This is not Afghanistan. This is not Iran with the Revolutionary Guard. For American females to complain that they're in a rape²⁶ culture or a patriarchy is extremely deluded²⁷ and ignorant about what those things really look like.

BLAIR: Whatever your point of view, there's no denying the #MeToo movement has ignited a feisty cultural conversation. It's disrupted ideas about what women should put up with at work and divided people along gender²⁸ and generational lines.

JENNY LUMET: I think this is about facing yourself.

BLAIR: Jenny Lumet is a screenwriter and TV producer. In an open letter in The Hollywood Reporter, she alleged that hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons sexually attacked her. He has denied it. Lumet has thought a lot about what #MeToo means. For her, the movement is forcing people to check their own beliefs and behavior.

LUMET: What is the most uncomfortable for people is you have to turn your gaze upon yourself, or you're forced to sometimes - even if it's just for a second.

BLAIR: Lumet believes this is a historic moment and that this year of #MeToo will forever be a reference point for people hoping to change the status quo.

Elizabeth Blair, NPR News.

1 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

2 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

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 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

5 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

12 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。

13 condoned   

v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Terrorism can never be condoned. 决不能容忍恐怖主义。
• They condoned his sins because he repented. 由于他的悔悟，他们宽恕了他的罪。 来自辞典例句

14 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

15 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

16 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

17 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

18 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

19 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

20 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

22 flirting   

v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't take her too seriously; she's only flirting with you. 别把她太当真，她只不过是在和你调情罢了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• 'she's always flirting with that new fellow Tseng!" “她还同新来厂里那个姓曾的吊膀子！ 来自子夜部分

23 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

24 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

25 delusion   

n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑

参考例句：

• He is under the delusion that he is Napoleon.他患了妄想症，认为自己是拿破仑。
• I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.我误认为他要娶我。

26 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

27 deluded   

v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't be deluded into thinking that we are out of danger yet. 不要误以为我们已脱离危险。
• She deluded everyone into following her. 她骗得每个人都听信她的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。