2007年VOA标准英语-Protesters Sound Off, Clash with Police Ahead o

By Ivana Kuhar
Rostock, Germany
05 June 2007
 

G8 demonstrators

Protesters again have fought with police in Rostock, Germany, ahead of this week's Group of Eight summit at the nearby resort in Heiligendamm.   Authorities say more than 8,000 anti-globalization protesters on Monday marched peacefully through Rostock. Stone and bottle-throwing incidents broke out when officers halted a group that violated a ban on wearing facemasks during the protests. The clashes were the second outbreak of violence ahead of  the summit. VOA's Ivana Kuhar and Valer Gergely have more on the protesters.

They come from around the world to make their voices heard. The expected 100,000 protesters are not a homogenous¹ body. Their causes range from reducing global  poverty and AIDS to fighting climate change and corruption² in government.

While their ages, aspirations³ and viewpoints vary widely, the protesters do seem to have one thing in common.

One student, Michael, offers his views. "From my point of view, the G8 and the summit are connected to those developments that I don't like in the world and I am here with many other people to say we are not happy with what is happening [in the world]."

Michael is a student of politics from Germany, who intends to spend a week protesting as the world's top political leaders hold their annual summit in the German North Sea resort Heiligendamm.

Volunteers help feed the G8 demonstrators

To accommodate the large number of political activists⁴ from out of the area, volunteer groups have set up what they call "demonstrators' camps." Spreading within 25 kilometer radius⁵ of the G8 summit site, the six makeshift tent cities are expected to house up to 50,000 people this week.

The visiting protesters eat, sleep and stay for free, although donations of five euros per day are encouraged to cover the costs. 

Sasha is a law student from nearby Rostock, who helped organize the demonstrator camps. "They are from all over the world -- from everywhere. There are Americans, Germans, people from the Netherlands, from France from Spain, from Africa.

"It is really diverse. There is a cultural program going on, music and theater and movies, political and social discussion groups, and, on the other hand, it's a place where people can find calm and prepare for the next day."

Demonstrator camps have showers and sanitation⁶ facilities, playgrounds for children, bars and recreation fields.  The food is vegan, but organizers say many locals brought deserts to welcome the protesters.

Police are staying out of the protesters' camps.  But, there is a large police presence around the temporary facilities.

Rostock police spokesman Axel Folkenberg says the majority of demonstrators are peaceful, as they try to express what they do not like in the world. But Folkenberg adds not all demonstrators are benevolent⁷. "There is a number of people who are ready to use violence. Those people have nothing to do with the G8. They mostly seek confrontation⁸ with the police, as they did recently in Hamburg and Berlin and on Saturday in Rostock."

On Saturday, demonstrations⁹ turned violent in Rostock, as about 2,000 protesters began rioting against the police. One hundred eight two people from 12 countries were arrested and 433 police were injured, 30 of them seriously.

While some are protesting out of a deeply held conviction, some others might have a lighter¹⁰ approach to demonstrations.  Nevertheless, as a four-legged marcher attests¹¹, the area around Heiligendamm is these days a protesters' capital of the world.

1 homogenous   

adj.同类的，同质的，纯系的

参考例句：

• Japan is a wealthy,homogenous,developed nation with a stable political system.日本是一个富裕的同质型发达国家，政治体制稳定。
• My family is very homogenous and happy.我们这个家庭很和睦很幸福。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

4 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》

5 radius   

n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限

参考例句：

• He has visited every shop within a radius of two miles.周围两英里以内的店铺他都去过。
• We are measuring the radius of the circle.我们正在测量圆的半径。

6 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

7 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

8 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

11 attests   

v.证明( attest的第三人称单数 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓

参考例句：

• The child's good health attests his mother's care. 这孩子健康的身体证实他母亲照料周到。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The boy's good health attests to his mother's care. 这个男孩的良好健康就是他母亲细心照顾的明证。 来自辞典例句