美国国家公共电台 NPR Opinion: An Act Of Bravery At The World Cup

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

There was a conspicuous¹ act of bravery in this week's World Cup championship game. The French team, which won 4-2, was bold and deft². Many of their players are immigrants, or children of immigrants, from Africa. Their victory was also seen as a triumph over bigots in France, who vilified³ and attacked immigrants. The Croatian national team was dauntless. Several of their players were from families who are refugees, fleeing a country torn by war.

But true daring occurred in the 52nd minute of the game. Three women and a man burst onto the field dressed in police-style uniforms. They were members of Pussy⁴ Riot, which we should probably stop calling a punk music group that mounts protests because as authoritarianism⁵ in Russia has deepened, Pussy Riot has become a collective of people who dare to stage artful protests against government repression⁶. The playacting police Pussy Riot put out onto the field during the World Cup championship were intended to signal the roughly 80,000 people in the stadium, many of whom were visiting foreign football fans, that in the real Russia they couldn't see during the games, police and security forces intrude⁷ into everyday life. The earthly policeman, Pussy Riot said on Facebook, gets ready to disperse⁸ rallies, hurts everyone, persecutes⁹ political prisoners; entering the ruleless (ph) game breaks our world apart. Pussy Riot called for political prisoners in Russia to be released, for police to stop arresting people at political rallies and an end to the government policing opinions on social media.

The four members of Pussy Riot have been sentenced to 15 days in prison. But you might wonder - would the world be surprised, or even much notice, now that the attention of the World Cup is gone, if the four aren't released in 15 days or at all? Would the president of the United States speak up for them?

A Russian activist¹⁰ has shared a secret video clip that shows two of the Pussy Riot members who were arrested being interrogated¹¹. A furious policeman shouts, sometimes I regret that it's not 1937 - the time called the Great Terror in Russia under Josef Stalin, in which a million or more people were executed.

Pussy Riot knows the score. They live and strive in a country where activists¹², dissidents, artists and reporters can suffer for their bravery, and they went ahead with their action anyway, just below Vladimir Putin's cold smile. Pussy Riot are champions.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "POLICE STATE")

PUSSY RIOT: (Singing) Big smile for the camera. It's always on. It's all in the protocol¹³. They tapped my phone. Golden idols¹⁴ holding rivals. Take my body, anybody. I'm your trophy¹⁵. Make my nose bleed. Now you own me. Oh, my God, I'm so happy, I could die. Oh, my God, I'm so happy, I could cry. Oh, my God, I'm so happy, I could cry. Everybody's doing the same thing, and it makes me happy, yeah. It makes me happy, yeah. Oh, my God.

SIMON: Pussy Riot.

1 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

2 deft   

adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手）

参考例句：

• The pianist has deft fingers.钢琴家有灵巧的双手。
• This bird,sharp of eye and deft of beak,can accurately peck the flying insects in the air.这只鸟眼疾嘴快，能准确地把空中的飞虫啄住。

3 vilified   

v.中伤，诽谤( vilify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was vilified in newspapers. 他在报纸上受到了诽谤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She was vilified by the press for her controversial views. 因她持有异议，新闻界对她横加挞伐。 来自互联网

4 pussy   

n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪

参考例句：

• Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
• The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。

5 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

6 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

7 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

8 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

9 persecutes   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的第三人称单数 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

10 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。

11 interrogated   

v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询

参考例句：

• He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。
• Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

14 idols   

偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像

参考例句：

• The genii will give evidence against those who have worshipped idols. 魔怪将提供证据来反对那些崇拜偶像的人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
• Teenagers are very sequacious and they often emulate the behavior of their idols. 青少年非常盲从，经常模仿他们的偶像的行为。

15 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。