摩托车爱好者拒被描写成暴力罪犯形象

Motorcycle Enthusiasts¹ Deny Being Violent Criminals 摩托车爱好者拒被描写成暴力罪犯形象

HOUSTON—

After the shooting at a motorcycle clubs gathering² in the southwestern U.S. city of Waco, Texas last month that left nine people dead and 18 wounded, law enforcement officials described the clubs as criminal gangs. But questions remain about what transpired³ in Waco, especially in regard to actions taken by police on the scene. Motorcyclists reject broad portrayals⁴ of their clubs as criminal organizations.

A few hundred members of motorcycle clubs from the Houston region gather at the Hawg Stop restaurant and bar.

Although Houston police had said they would monitor the situation closely, there is no sign of police anywhere near the site and all is peaceful.

This is the norm for such meetings, according to attorney Joey Lester.

“We have had eight or nine thousand of them over the last 30 years; we have never had any problems, even little problems, at any of these meetings. That thing in Waco was an aberration," said Lester.

Lester, who represents biker clubs on a national scale, says a thorough investigation⁵ is needed, but he says it appears police over-reacted when they arrested 170 people on the scene for criminal conspiracy⁶.

“You are supposed to have evidence against each person in order to bring a charge like that against them, so what they did, what law enforcement did there was a travesty⁷ of justice in my opinion," he said.

Some legal experts say police were justified⁸ in making mass arrests, given the chaotic⁹ situation at the time, and many of those arrested have now been released on bond. Police spokesmen say officers fired 12 shots during the incident, but they have not yet produced a detailed¹⁰ account.

At the meeting in Houston and a large rally held in Austin over the weekend, there was no evidence of animosity between rival clubs.

Tracy White of the FAM club says biker clubs are open and diverse.

“We don’t go by your race, we don’t go by your age; none of that matters. Everything is transparent¹¹; love is love," said White.

The meetings follow strict rules and are carried out in orderly fashion.

Prayer is also on the agenda, sometimes led by preachers like Reverend Rocky Summerfield.

“Some of these guys don’t feel comfortable with a church setting, so this is our mission field," said Summerfield.

Wild Dillos club member “Slick” works at a bank during the week, dressed more conventionally.

“Wearing a coat and tie and on the weekends I like to put my jeans on and my jacket and vest and ride my Harley," said  "Slick".

“There’s lawyers and doctors and bankers and blue collar workers, just a wide variety of people and all come together under the banner of motorcycle enthusiasts.”

Some of the bikers are members of clubs with a rough reputation, like the Bandidos, but almost everyone dresses in black leather and might look menacing to an outsider.

Yet most members are law-abiding, patriotic¹² citizens and tax payers, according to Reverend Summerfield.

“It is no different than a ladies tennis club. They have an interest in playing tennis and whatever and we just have a big interest and camaraderie¹³ of riding motorcycles," he said.

Motorcycles, friendship and a good dose of outlaw¹⁴ spirit are what bikers say bind¹⁵ them together in clubs.

1 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 transpired   

（事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生

参考例句：

• It transpired that the gang had had a contact inside the bank. 据报这伙歹徒在银行里有内应。
• It later transpired that he hadn't been telling the truth. 他当时没说真话，这在后来显露出来了。

4 portrayals   

n.画像( portrayal的名词复数 )；描述；描写；描摹

参考例句：

• And painters alluded to her eroticism in their bare breasted portrayals of the dying queen. 画家们把她描绘为裸胸垂死的贪欲的女王。 来自互联网

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

7 travesty   

n.歪曲，嘲弄，滑稽化

参考例句：

• The trial was a travesty of justice.这次审判嘲弄了法律的公正性。
• The play was,in their view,a travesty of the truth.这个剧本在他们看来是对事实的歪曲。

8 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

9 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

10 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

11 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

12 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

13 camaraderie   

n.同志之爱，友情

参考例句：

• The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
• Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板，偶尔才和下属互动一下；有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。

14 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。

15 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。