VOA标准英语2009-Obama Visit Offers Reminder of South Korea's

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
19 November 2009

President Barack Obama's historic victory created a daily reminder¹ to Americans that success does not come in just one ethnic² package. And the president's brief stop in South Korea offers people there a reminder of their own country's evolution toward a multicultural³ society.

One account of abuse

 
Michael Hurt
Michael Hurt is a photographer here in Seoul. He speaks fluent Korean, in part because it was the language of his mother. He inherited much of his appearance from his African-American father.

He is very active in Seoul city life, but one thing he tries not to do is take the subway.

"The time I really decided⁴, O.K., I'm done with the subway, was when I was watching Battlestar Galactica on my iPod, in a full suit and coat with a professional bag, coming back from a lecture. And I looked up a little bit, and what was going on was this guy was right here, just yelling and screaming expletives in my ear. I couldn't hear him because of the high quality headphones," he explains, "I took them out, and he was just, every negative stereotype⁵ about blacks in Korean. And you know, it's completely uncalled for. It's unprovoked."

First legislation to address racial discrimination

Such incidents are not unique. A court here is set to hear a groundbreaking case about alleged⁶ harassment⁷ of a visiting Indian student and his South Korean female friend by an older Korean man aboard a bus. The case echoes the experience of many South Korean women, who say even the appearance of dating a foreign man puts them at risk for verbal abuse.

 
Lawmaker Jun Byung-hun
Now, South Korean politicians are drafting the country's first legislation to outlaw⁸ and punish racial discrimination. Lawmaker Jun Byung-hun says it is overdue⁹.

"This year, the number of foreigners living in Korea increased to more than one million. There are also more than a million people from multicultural families. Korea is clearly turning into a multiethnic country," Jun said.

South Korea's attitudes toward race and ethnicity are complex. Centuries of invasion and colonization¹⁰ helped create a culture in which elementary schoolbooks still celebrate South Korea's "pure bloodlines" and "homogeneous society."

US President Obama offers encouragement for racial justice

 
President Barack Obama's photo on the cover of a magazine in Beijing, 17 Nov 2009
South Korea's rapid modernization¹¹ has helped foster popular culture that mirrors global wealth stereotypes¹². Movies and TV shows depict¹³ whites with envy and desire. Darker-skinned races tend to be shunned¹⁴.

Lawmaker Jun says President Obama, making his first official visit to South Korea this week, has helped advance South Korean attitudes about what mixed race individuals can accomplish. "Koreans have 'colored skin' too; and yet we often have prejudice against black people. Obama's election to the presidency¹⁵ has helped neutralize¹⁶ those ideas. His presidency has offered encouragement to people in the U.S., Korea, Asia and all over the world who fight for racial justice," he said.

Jun hopes to get a racial discrimination bill passed by February, but says changing Korean mindsets will take longer.

1 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

2 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。

3 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

8 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

9 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

10 colonization   

殖民地的开拓，殖民，殖民地化； 移殖

参考例句：

• Colonization took place during the Habsburg dynasty. 开拓殖民地在哈布斯堡王朝就进行过。
• These countries took part in the colonization of Africa. 这些国家参与非洲殖民地的开发。

11 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

12 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 depict   

vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述

参考例句：

• I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
• Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。

14 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

16 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。