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Memphis and the nation focus on another example of police violence

Transcript¹

Residents in Memphis, who watched the video of the violent police beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, talk of their own brutal² experiences. Nichols died three days after the attack.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

It's worth noting what is not the news this morning.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We do not have news that some people feared violence in response to police videos. Memphis authorities released four videos on Friday night. They show a traffic stop where police seized and beat Tyre Nichols. The 29-year-old later died. The nonviolent response allows us to focus on a different question - how to address the repeated police use of excessive force.

MART?NEZ: NPR's Michel Martin hosts weekends on All Things Considered. She's in Memphis. Michel, you got there the day after the footage was released. How are people feeling?

MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE³: Well, a range of emotions, as you might expect, A. Many people feel hurt and angry. Some people told us that they were ashamed that Memphis is in the national spotlight⁴ for this - Memphis, of course, being where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated⁵ and, more recently, where there have been a number of really scary street crimes that have also made the national news. But what I, frankly⁶, did not expect was the number of people who recounted similar, very frightening encounters with Memphis police. And I'm not just talking about demeaning language like being cursed at for very little reason, which is bad enough. We're talking about people who spoke⁷ of having their doors broken down by police who had the wrong address on a warrant. We're talking about family members being treated so roughly after being stopped for minor⁸ traffic issues that they needed medical treatment. It was really disturbing to hear how common an experience it was for many of the people we spoke with.

MART?NEZ: You also attended a church service. So where'd you wind up going?

MARTIN: Well, A, we visited an historic church with a majority Black congregation, Centenary United Methodist Church. A lot of people still travel quite a distance to attend, even if they've moved farther away. And the bishop⁹ was making a special visit there yesterday, so it was a big turnout there. And a lot of people told us that the killing¹⁰ of Tyre Nichols, as terrible as it was, is giving them the motivation to recommit to the kind of work they know needs to be done anyway. Here's Courtney Davis (ph). He's a lifelong congregant of this church. And he said police reform is only part of it.

COURTNEY DAVIS: We have to start at the root of the problem, and that's educational equality, financial opportunities, and start to create an environment for the citizens that are here and the ones that hadn't even made it to the earth yet.

MART?NEZ: Wow. It sounds like Memphis is almost starting over. At least, that's where their mindset seems to be. What about elected leaders in Memphis? What are they saying?

MARTIN: Well, we talked with a veteran congressman¹¹ who represents much of the city, Steve Cohen. And we also talked with a young environmental activist¹² who just got elected to the Tennessee statehouse in a special election, Justin Pearson. He's going to be sworn in just a couple of days from now. They're both Democrats¹³, and they both talked about wanting to move forward with legislation that would require things like better and more consistent reporting of abusive police behavior, more accountability, addressing training and culture. Now, you can't help but notice that both of these lawmakers are now in the minority in their respective legislative¹⁴ bodies. And these - this kind of legislative moves have not necessarily been seen as a priority for the Republicans, who control both chambers¹⁵ that they are in. But Pearson said even though he's young, he's had tough fights before and come out on top, like his fight to ensure that an oil pipeline¹⁶ isn't built over an aquifer¹⁷ here in Memphis.

JUSTIN PEARSON: It started with the pipeline fight, but that turned into three laws that we passed in Shelby County and in Memphis. And we changed the law in Tennessee that would have been totally pro-pipeline. Like, we know that this works, but it takes persistent¹⁸ and engaged and activated¹⁹ constituents²⁰.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Michel Martin in Memphis, Tenn. Michel, thanks.

MARTIN: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

5 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

6 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

9 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

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 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

15 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

16 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

17 aquifer   

n.含水土层

参考例句：

• An aquifer is a water-bearing rock stratum such as sandstone and chalk.地下蓄水层是一些有水的岩石层，如沙岩和白垩岩。
• The wine region's first water came from an ancient aquifer.用来灌溉这个地区葡萄园的第一批水来自古老的地下蓄水层。

18 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

19 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

20 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》