【美国精神】第84期

Explanation:

  The U.S. Declaration¹ of Independence says that “all men are created equal” (or the same), but in reality (or in real life), this isn’t really true. The United² States has always struggled (or had problems) with racial³ discrimination⁴, which means⁵ treating people differently and unfairly because of the color of their skin.

  Racial discrimination is still a problem today, but it is less of a problem now than it used to be. In the early 1900s, blacks and other people who were not white couldn’t do many of the things that white people could do. For example, they were not allowed to drink out of the same drinking fountains⁶ (or places where people can drink water on the street) or use the same bathrooms as white people could. They also had to go to different schools and shop in different stores. They even had to ride in the back of busses, because only white people could sit in the front.

  In 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks was very tired of all these rules and she decided⁷ to sit in the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a city in the southern part of the United States. The driver ordered (or told) her to sit in the back, but she wouldn’t do it. This was an act of civil disobedience, because she was breaking the rules as a way to try to change those rules. She was arrested (or forced to go to jail) because of it.

  The black community in Montgomery wanted to support (or help) Rosa Parks and fight for their rights. So they began to boycott⁸ the busses in Montgomery. This means that they refused to ride in busses because they were tired of having to sit in the back. Their boycott lasted for more than one year until the laws were changed. The bus companies lost a lot of money during the boycott. Many of the busses stopped running (or going on the streets).

  Rosa Parks’ refusal⁹ or saying ‘no’ to sitting in the back of the bus became a famous story in the national news and began the civil rights movement, or the period of time when many people were working to have equal rights for whites and nonwhites. Rosa Parks is sometimes called the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”

 

问题：

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

Answer:

The civil rights (movement)

1 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

2 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

3 racial   

adj.种族的；种族间的；由种族引起的

参考例句：

• We should have racial pride.我们应该有种族优越感。
• He spoke out against racial discrimination.他声言反对种族歧视。

4 discrimination   

n.差别，岐视，辨别力

参考例句：

• He spoke out against racial discrimination.他声言反对种族歧视。
• These robots are capable of shape discrimination.这些机器人能辨别形状。

5 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

6 fountains   

n.喷水( fountain的名词复数 )；喷泉；来源；人工喷泉

参考例句：

• 'I go through no streets and past no fountains. “我不从街上走，也不从泉水过。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• The fountains in the park play on Sundays. 公园里的喷泉星期天才喷水。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

9 refusal   

n.拒绝

参考例句：

• He persisted in his refusal to pay the money.他坚持拒绝付钱。
• Our offer was met with a firm refusal.我们的报价被坚决拒绝。