2006年VOA标准英语-King Holiday Observed in His Home Town

By Mike Cooper
Atlanta
16 January 2006
 
The U.S. holiday marking the birthday of slain¹ civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior was observed across the country Monday.   In Atlanta, Reverend King's hometown, black leaders vowed² to continue the struggle for justice and equality.

----------------------------------------

At the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Reverend Martin Luther King Junior preached during the 1960s, dignitaries recalled his message of non-violence and his commitment to justice.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin urged people in Reverend King's hometown to live his legacy³ of persistent⁴ and tireless action every day of the year.

 
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin
  
"We have an obligation because we are the keeper of the King legacy in Atlanta, a legacy of fighting for social and economic justice, a legacy of desegregating public facilities, a legacy of marching with the poor and neglected, a legacy of demanding peace against senseless war," she said.

These are difficult times for the King family.  King's widow, Coretta Scott King, suffered a major stroke in August. And King's four children are sharply divided over a proposal to sell the King Center and the tomb of the slain civil rights leader to the U.S. government's National Park Service.

King Center president Isaac Newton Farris Junior, a nephew of Martin Luther King Junior, defended the idea of selling the center, which was founded by Coretta Scott King shortly after her husband's death.

"In this way, we can devote more resources, both human and economic, to developing programs, not managing buildings," he said.  "You will still be able to visit the King Center. We just might not own the building."

Former United Nations ambassador Andrew Young, one of the Reverend King's closest aides, supports the sale. Mr. Young is leading efforts to build a new civil rights museum near the King Center.

King was a central figure in the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, leading nonviolent protests against segregation⁵ and discrimination.  He was assassinated⁶ in the U.S. city of Memphis on April 4, 1968.

Many Americans marked the day by attending services or volunteering in their community in tribute to the slain civil rights leader.  In Washington, President Bush remembered King as a man committed to equal rights.

1 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

5 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。

6 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句