VOA常速英语2020--美国小学生看种族问题

We are approximately 11 miles away from Fort¹ Monroe,where the first African-Americans arrived approximately 400 years ago.I am Robin² Hunt-Crenshaw, the principal³ here at George P. Phenix Pre-K through 8 school.The school is predominantly African-American.Today I will be meeting with 3rd and 4th grade students to discuss the issues of slavery, what they know about slavery.We need to learn about slavery because in the upcoming generations we can't all just believe that this country was always, different races combined together.We have to know what our history was.There was land taken from different races because they were that race.And I don't feel like any of that is right because we're all human beings.Now we're allowed to do stuff⁴ that we couldn't do before.We have to know, this is why we're free and this is why we can do this.

我们距离门罗堡大约11英里，大约400年前，第一批非裔美国人到达了这里。我叫罗宾·亨特-克伦肖，是乔治·P·菲尼克斯学龄前到8岁儿童学校的校长。这里的学生大部分都是非裔美国人。今天我要和三、四年级的学生见面，讨论奴隶制问题，以及他们对奴隶制的了解。我们需要了解奴隶制，因为我们不能让我们的后代一直相信美国是一个多种族融合的国家。我们需要去了解我们的历史。一些种族的土地被夺走了，仅仅因为他们是那个种族的人。我并不觉得这是正确的，因为我们都是人类。现在，我们可以做以前做不到的事。我们必须了解我们为何自由，我们为何现在可以做自己想做的事。

Some people say it was nice back then, but it wasn't always nice.Almost two years ago, in Charlottesville, Virginia,there was people in their cars who was running over people.Me and my family took a trip and while we were on our way, we were driving in Charlottesville and we had to be very careful.I've seen on the news where a black man was trying to ask for directions and he knocked on a white persons house. The husband, he went and got the gun and chased⁵ the black man off.So, I thought that might have been, well, was it because he was black?Or did they think he was trying to like steal something?And I thought it was really mean.Black males and females⁶ that are getting shot.People are losing their lives and they haven't done anything.So I think we can improve that.Like he said, people are, innocent⁷ people are getting shot for no reason.We could change that.There's a whole lot more to be improved.We, we as Americans have to be united.We live in the United States.United means that were all in this together but people aren't getting treated fairly because people are not doing the right thing and we should all do the right thing because were in this together.

有人说那时候很好，但并不总是那么美好。大约两年前，在弗吉尼亚州夏洛茨维尔，有人在开着车辗人。我和我的家人在旅行的途中，途径夏洛茨维尔时，我们必须非常小心。我在新闻上看到一个黑人想问路，他敲了白人的房门。房间里的丈夫拿起了枪，把那个黑人赶走了。所以，我会想，哇，仅仅因为他是黑人吗？或者他们认为那个黑人想偷东西？我觉得这很刻薄。黑人男性和女性被射杀了。他们什么也没做就失去了生命。我觉得我们可以改善这种情况。正如他说的，那些人是无辜的，他们被无缘无故地射杀。我们可以改变这种情况。还有很多需要改进的地方。我们，作为美国人，必须团结一致。我们生活在美国。美国中的“United”意味着要团结一致，但是民众并未得到公正的对待，因为有些人没有做正确的事情。我们都应该做正确的事情，因为我们团结在一起。

1 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 principal   

adj.主要的；n.负责人，校长，资本

参考例句：

• When he saw the principal,he raised his hand in salutation.他看到校长时举手敬礼。
• Their school gave a reception to their new principal.他们学校为新校长举办了一个招待会。

4 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

5 chased   

vt.追捕（chase的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The boy chased his sister in and out among the bushes. 那个男孩在灌木丛里跟着他姐姐追过来追过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy chased the decoys down to the place of ambush. 敌人将诱骗者一直追到伏兵所在地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 females   

n.雌性动物( female的名词复数 )；女人

参考例句：

• The male birds are more colourful than the females. 这种鸟雄性比雌性更加色彩艳丽。
• The males in the herd protect the females and the young. 兽中的雄性动物保护雌性动物和幼崽。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 innocent   

adj.无罪的，清白的；无害的；天真的，单纯的

参考例句：

• I'm not quite so innocent as to believe that.我还不至于简单到相信那种事的地步。
• I was very young,and very innocent.我那时非常年轻，幼稚无知。