VOA标准英语2011--Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King H

Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Honored With Memorial

 

Nearly a month after a hurricane postponed¹ the dedication² of a national memorial honoring civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., U.S. President Barack Obama leads the ceremony Sunday, Oct. 16.

King was the leading voice of the nation’s modern day civil rights movement, and this is the first major monument built on the National Mall to honor an African American.

Martin Luther King Jr. rose to prominence³ in the 1950s and 1960s as the young leader of a non-violent protest movement for racial equality. “The greatness of America is the right to protest for right,” he said.

King, a minister from Atlanta, Georgia, led hundreds of thousands of African Americans in a cause to end legalized racial segregation⁴ in the southern United States. The movement sparked violence at times, as white segregationists sought to enforce laws designed to keep the races separate - in places like restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, trains, buses and schools.

Rev5. Martin Luther King Jr. (File)

King began his rise to prominence in December 1955, spearheading a drive to desegregate public buses in Montgomery, Alabama.

“That was the day when we decided⁶ that we [African Americans] were not going to take segregated⁷ buses any longer,” King explained.

A year later, the U.S. Supreme⁸ Court ruled Alabama’s bus segregation law was unconstitutional. It was the first major civil rights victory for King and his movement.

“ Dr. King was a great man,” Reverend Calvin Woods recalls. Woods worked closely with King during a series of protests in Birmingham, Alabama. “He was a humble⁹ man who could talk with anyone," he said. "He would take the time to listen to anyone and seek to come out of the conversation with a genuine understanding.”

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration¹⁰ for freedom in the history of our nation,” King stated.

On August 28, 1963, more than a quarter of a million people converged¹¹ on the nation’s capital for what's now known as the "March on Washington." King's most famous speech was the highlight of the historic protest for jobs and freedom.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” King said.

Civil rights activist¹² Barbara Arnwine says King's speech gave hope to so many. “He was saying to the nation, 'Reach high. You know, be aspirational¹³ in every regard when it comes to racial equality because only when we are a house united will we as a nation be strong,'” she said.

King’s dream for a better America began to take shape in 1964. At age 35 he became the youngest recipient¹⁴ of the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time the civil rights movement succeeded in pressuring lawmakers and President Lyndon Johnson to approve (The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act) landmark¹⁵ legislation outlawing¹⁶ racial segregation in public places and discriminatory practices that prevented blacks from voting.

“I want to say to the people of America and the nations of the world we [African Americans] are on the move and no wave of racism¹⁷ can stop us,” King stated.

Not long after these achievements, though - in April1968 - King was assassinated¹⁸ in Memphis, Tennessee.

More than four decades after his assassination¹⁹, the nation is honoring Martin Luther King and his vision of racial equality with a national memorial in Washington. The cornerstone of the memorial is the "Stone of Hope," a large granite²⁰ sculpture which depicts²¹ King overlooking the memorials of former presidents on the shore of the Tidal Basin.

Harry²² Johnson is president of the foundation that has worked to build the $120 million King memorial. "When you come through here we want it to be surreal so you can actually see, ponder and think about what Dr. King would have done but moreover what Dr. King means today to all of us who never met him, and for the future," Johnson noted²³.

Vernon Roberts, a visitor from New Jersey²⁴, says the Martin Luther King memorial is unique. “It gives us [African Americans] a perspective other than the presidential memorials that you see in Washington, D.C. It affords us the opportunity to study, to know and actually to grow. And it's a form of encouragement to all of us,” he said.

Those who helped build the Martin Luther King national memorial say it is a lasting²⁵ tribute to a man of peace, whose movement fought so hard for democracy, justice and improving the lives of millions of African Americans.

1 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

2 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

3 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

4 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。

5 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

6 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。

7 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

10 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

11 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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。

13 aspirational   

志同的，有抱负的

参考例句：

• Most of the images that bombard us all are aspirational. 轰击的图像，我们都期望最大。
• Analysts said self-help and aspirational reading could explain India's high figures. 分析师们指出，自助读书、热爱读书是印度人均读书时间超过别的国家的主要原因。

14 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

15 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

16 outlawing   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Regulations are outlawing certain refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons, which contain ozone-depleting chemicals. 随后出台的政策禁用了部分制冷剂，如破坏臭氧层的氟氯碳化合物。
• An amendment outlawing sale of intoxicating liquors(1920)was repealed in 1933. 规定售卖酒类为非法的一个宪法修正案（一九二○年）在一九三三年被废止。

17 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

18 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

19 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

20 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

21 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

22 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

23 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。

24 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

25 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。