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抗议民众在共和党大会外表达不满

More than three years after the U.S. economy fell into deep recession, protesters outside the Republican National Convention point to what they call a continuing crisis of unemployment and homelessness. As delegates prepare to nominate Mitt¹ Romney amidst a glitzy three-day party in Tampa, Florida, demonstrators camped out in the heavy rains of a tropical storm.

美国经济陷入严重衰退三年多后，在共和党全国代表大会会场外抗议的民众表示，美国失业和无家可归的危机仍在继续。共和党代表准备在佛罗里达州坦帕三天热闹的党代会期间提名罗姆尼为总统候选人之际，这些示威者冒着热带风暴带来的豪雨中扎营抗议。

So far, protesters marching on downtown Tampa's mostly deserted² streets are outnumbered by police and news reporters. Police are telling protesters not to cover their faces or engage in threatening behavior. Though mostly peaceful, some still wear helmets and masks.

到目前为止，游行在坦帕市空荡荡街头的抗议者的人数还远不及警察和新闻记者多。警察要求抗议者不要把脸遮起来，或做出有威胁的举动。虽然示威游行基本和平，但是仍有一些示威者头戴盔帽和面具。

“It is for our own protection; basically, that is all it really is - to avoid being targeted as an individual,” one protester said.

一名抗议者说：“这主要是为了保护我们自己，真的是这样，就是为了避免自己成为目标。”

They have come from around the country to camp out in parks and small lots like this rented space which they call “Romneyville.” The name alludes³ to homeless camps, called “Hoovervilles,” during the Great Depression, named after then-President Herbert Hoover. Camp organizer Bruce Wright says the name is appropriate, given the high unemployment rate and homelessness in the Tampa area.

示威者来自美国各地，扎营在公园以及像是这个租来的他们称之为“罗姆尼村”的小空地上。这个名称隐喻无家可归者的营地，因为在美国大萧条时代的无家可归者营地就是以当时的总统胡佛命名。营地组织者莱特表示，这个名字十分恰当，因为坦帕地区有着高失业率和无家可归者。

“We have the same kind of foreclosure crisis today and the people in this camp are a mixture of homeless, formerly⁴ homeless, poor people, unemployed⁵ people and just different activist⁶ groups,” he said.

莱特说：“我们今天面临同样的因无力偿还贷款而房屋被没收的危机，住在这些帐篷里的人包括了无家可归者、曾经无家可归者、穷人、失业者、以及其他不同的活动人士团体。”

Camp residents have tried to help suffering locals like Thomas Diehl and his companion, Michelle Kelly.

活动人士争取要帮助的人包括戴尔以及他的同伴凯利。

“Right now they are trying to help us get food stamps, medical help for me and her, stuff like that,” Diehl said.

无家可归的失业者凯利说：“他们现在正尝试协助我们获得食物券，帮我和她获得医疗保健等等。”

While many say they are here to protest against Republican Party policies, quite a few express disdain⁷ for the political process in general. Alex Ramos is critical of President Barack Obama as well as Mitt Romney.

虽然来这里的许多人是抗议共和党的政策，但是也有一些人表达对总体政治进程的不满。拉莫斯既批评罗姆尼，也批评奥巴马总统。

“He made a lot of promises that he has not kept," he said. "He promised to bring troops back home and he sent about 30,000 more overseas. He signed off on NATO to destroy Libya.”

拉莫斯说：“他做了很多承诺但是没有兑现。他答应把军队撤回，却又加派大约三万人到海外。他还批准让北约摧毁利比亚。”

Many here say politics is controlled by large corporations and wealthy donors⁸.

许多抗议者还表示，美国政治被大财团和富有的捐赠者所把持。

"We have equal criticisms of Obama, okay, we're non-partisan. We're committed to the principal of justice for everyone," Bruce Wright said. "Both parties are controlled by big money."

“罗姆尼村”的组织者莱特说：“我们也同样批评奥巴马。我们没有党派立场。我们信奉对所有人都公正的原则。两大政党都被大财团所控制。”

Protesters may have little opportunity to be heard by convention delegates. Security is tight for several blocks around the convention sight and police boats patrol adjacent waterways. Regardless of the security and the rain stirred up by Tropical Storm Isaac, the protesters say they intend to be here all week to present their view of what's wrong with the country.

这些抗议者的呼声也许没什么机会让共和党代表大会的代表听到。在共和党大会现场周围几个街区被严密封锁，警方的巡逻船还在附近水域巡逻。但是，尽管有这些安全防范和热带风暴艾萨克带来的豪雨，但是这些示威者表示，他们打算在这里待一个星期，针对美国存在目前的问题表明立场。