VOA标准英语2011--Minority Groups Show Solidarity With 'Occupy' Protest Movement

Minority Groups Show Solidarity¹ With 'Occupy' Protest Movement

Hundreds of African Americans and Hispanics marched the nearly 18-kilometer length of Manhattan on Monday, to show solidarity with New York's "Occupy Wall Street" protest. Although the "Occupy" movement does not have a specific agenda, it appears to be inspiring people to generate specific policy proposals.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Washington Heights, an economically depressed² neighborhood at the north end of Manhattan, for a march to the Occupy Wall Street camp on the south end of the island.

New York State Senator Adriano Espaillat says the Washington Heights neighborhood is suffering double-digit unemployment, lack of affordable³ housing and quality health care. He charges the federal government bailed⁴ out distressed⁵ banks and Wall Street brokerage firms after the 2008 financial crisis, but not small businesses in this hard-hit area.

“They haven’t gotten a penny. They’ve been doing this bare-handed. We recognize that the government has to do more, and that’s why we’re calling for the implementation⁶ of the millionaire’s tax. That’s the government action to bring help to our communities," he said.

This Washington Heights textile store is going out of business, a victim of high rent and slow sales because of widespread unemployment in the area.

Across the street, Nassar, the manager of the Zodiac clothing store, says his store could suffer the same fate, because business is down 40 percent over the past two years. He says he supports the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators and welcomes the idea of a so-called "millionaire’s tax" in New York state.

“I’m for it because the people who make more money [are] supposed to pay more money. You know what I mean? Because there are so many people struggling in this country. Unemployment is very high. And I hope this thing helps. At least they have to try it," he said.

Occupy Wall Street is focusing attention on the wealthiest one percent of Americans, but the movement has made no specific tax or policy proposals. Still, the proposal to tax millionaires appears to strike a common chord between the demonstrators on one hand, and the politicians and small businesspeople in Washington Heights on the other.

Sherman Jackson, one of the protest movement’s media representatives, says he expects this will generate more such examples of synergy. “As this progresses, the longer that we’re here, the more occupations that take hold throughout the country and throughout the globe; more succinct⁷, more precise, more substantive⁸ recommendations are going to come forth," he said.

Many of the Washington Heights marchers say this was their first involvement with the Occupy Wall Street protest, which is now in its eighth week. There are scores of similar demonstrations⁹ taking place throughout the United States and the world.

1 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

2 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

4 bailed   

保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Fortunately the pilot bailed out before the plane crashed. 飞机坠毁之前，驾驶员幸运地跳伞了。
• Some water had been shipped and the cook bailed it out. 船里进了些水，厨师把水舀了出去。

5 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

6 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

7 succinct   

adj.简明的，简洁的

参考例句：

• The last paragraph is a succinct summary.最后这段话概括性很强。
• A succinct style lends vigour to writing.措辞简练使文笔有力。

8 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

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。