美国种族问题

 　　Once a man had a dream.He dreamed of a land of peace and harmony.He dreamed of a place where people were not judged by their skin color.He dreamed of a country where children of different races could play together.He dreamed of a nation where all people were equal.Some people didn't like his dream.They said it would never happen.Some people applauded¹ his dream.They wanted to make it happen.This noble vision² has come true for some.For others,it's still just a fantasy.

　　从前有一个人,他有一个梦。他梦到一块和平与和谐的土地。他梦到一个人们不因肤色而被论断的地方。他梦到一个国家不同肤色的小子们玩在一起。他梦到一个国家,在其中所有的人都是平等的。有些人不喜欢他的梦。他们说这个梦永远不会实现。有些人则对他的梦喝采。他们想实现这个梦。这个崇高的理想对某些人而言,它还只是一个幻想。

　　In 1963,this man,Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.,expressed his vision in the famous speech,"I Have a Dream."But the dream-rooted in the American Dream-wasn't really new.From the beginning,this nation of immigrants³ welcomed people desiring freedom and a new start.However,the coming together of different races and ethnic⁴ groups created some tensions⁵.The early Americans (except for the native "Indians")were almost all white Europeans.As more immigrants arrived,European groups fit into society easily.Others found it more difficult.

　　这个人,马丁路德.金恩博士,在一九六三年的一篇有名的演讲"我有一个梦"当中表达了他的理想.其实这个根植于"美国梦"的理想,并不是个完全新潮的主意.从一开始,这个由移民所组成的国家,便欢迎渴望自由和新开始的人来到.但是,不同种族的到来亦带来了紧张的气氛.早期的美国人(除了印地安原住民之外)几乎全是来自欧洲的白人.当更多的移民抵达时,欧洲团体较容易适应这个社会,其它团体则较感困难.

　　Black people were the only "immigrants"who didn't choose to come to America.For hundreds of years,Africans were taken from their homes to be slaves in the New World.Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had slaves.The phrase "all men are created equal"didn't apply to blacks in their day.The end of the Civil War finally brought freedom to the slaves in 1865,but blacks still had a lower position in society.Many Southern states practiced segregation⁶ to "keep blacks in their place."Blacks and whites went to different schools,ate at different restaurants,even drank from different water fountains.

　　黑人是唯一非出于自愿而到美国来的"移民".几百年以来,非洲人自其家园被迫带到新世界为奴.即使乔治.华盛顿和汤玛士.杰弗逊也曾蓄奴.那句"人类生而平等"的话,在他们的时代并不适用于黑人.一八六五年,南北战争的结束终于为黑奴带来自由,但是黑人的社会地位仍然较低.许多南方的州实行种族隔离政策以使"黑人不会跨越界限".黑人和白人上不同的学校,在不同的餐馆吃饭,甚至连喝水都用不同的饮水机.

1 applauded   

v.鼓掌( applaud的过去式和过去分词 )；称赞，赞许

参考例句：

• The audience warmly applauded when the performance came to the end. 当演出接近尾声时，观众热烈鼓掌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The audience applauded after the soprano sang the aria so beautifully. 女高音将咏叹调唱得十分优美，观众爆发出热烈的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 vision   

n.视觉，先见之明，光景，视力，眼力，幻想，影像；vt.幻想

参考例句：

• The wall cuts across our line of vision.那面墙挡住了我们的视线。
• Much reading has impaired his vision.大量读书损害了他的视力。

3 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 tensions   

（情绪上的）紧张( tension的名词复数 )； 张力； 紧张的状态； （作家或电影导演制造的）紧张气氛

参考例句：

• Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis. 最近的政治危机显示了社会关系的紧张。
• These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。

6 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。