VOA常速英语2007年-US Survey Finds Blacks More Pessimistic About P

By Cindy Saine
Washington
16 November 2007

An independent survey on racial attitudes in the United States shows a growing number of African Americans say they are worse off now than they were five years ago, and that they don't expect their lives to improve in the future.  The whites, the survey says, see things differently.   VOA's Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

The survey by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan organization based in Washington, shows that only one in five African Americans asked said life in the United States is better for them than it was five years ago, and only 44 percent of African Americans said they expect their prospects¹ to brighten in the future.  The Pew Center says this means that blacks are more pessimistic about progress now than at any time since 1983. 

Most white Americans have a different perspective.  Whites are nearly twice as likely as blacks to see blacks gaining ground over the past five years, and 56 percent of whites say life will get better for blacks in this country. 

Telephone interviews for the Pew Research Center survey were conducted among a nationally representative sample of three thousand, 86 adults from September 5 to October 6.  Of the total, 1007 interviews were conducted with blacks, and 388 with Hispanics.

The Executive Vice² President of the center, Paul Taylor, says since the passage of civil rights laws in the 1960s and 1970s, African Americans as a whole have done better economically. But, he says there have been increasing prosperity gaps within the black community.

"Overall the black community in absolute inflation-adjusted dollars has done better over the last 40 or so years; there's been a slow but steady progress," he noted³.  "But when you look inside the community, you see an increasing divergence⁴. More blacks now than before are in the middle class or above, taking advantage of the opportunities opened up by the civil rights era, if you will.  But a very significant number are still in poverty."

Taylor said the divergence in economic level within the black community is accompanied by a growing gap in values between poor and middle-class African Americans.

"We asked blacks, 'do you think the values of middle-class and poor blacks have gotten more alike or more different in the past decade.'  By two to one blacks say the values have gotten more different," he added.  "At the same time, a majority of blacks say the values of blacks and whites have become more similar over the past decade."

Most blacks and whites agree that the values held by blacks and whites have become more alike over the years.  Large majorities of both blacks and whites say that rap and hip-hop music are a bad influence on society.  About eight in 10 members of each racial group express a favorable view of the other group.

The survey also rated prominent black Americans according to how favorably they are viewed by members of the black community.  Talk show host Oprah Winfrey came out on top with 87 percent saying she is a good influence, closely followed by entertainer and activist⁵ Bill Cosby, with 85 percent. 

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama also scored high among blacks, with 76 percent saying he is a good influence.

1 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 divergence   

n.分歧，岔开

参考例句：

• There is no sure cure for this transatlantic divergence.没有什么灵丹妙药可以消除大西洋两岸的分歧。
• In short,it was an age full of conflicts and divergence of values.总之，这一时期是矛盾与价值观分歧的时期。

5 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。