VOA慢速英语--Creator of ‘Me Too’ to Start Ball Drop in Times Square

 

Around the world in 2017, women and some men used the social media hashtag #MeToo to tell their stories of sexual abuse.

To ring in 2018, the creator of “Me Too” will press the button that releases the ball drop in Times Square in New York City.

Activist¹ Tarana Burke first used “Me Too” in this way, back in 2006.

More than 10 years later, following the first media reports of sexual abuse by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, American actor Alyssa Milano wrote a message on Twitter. She asked her Twitter followers² to write #MeToo if they had experienced sexual assault or harassment³.

The tweet spread worldwide. A movement was born, one that has seen more people coming forward with their abuse experiences than ever before. Well-known and powerful men in Hollywood, politics, news media and other industries have been accused of sexual wrongdoing. Many have lost their jobs and ended their careers.

Milano was quick to give Burke credit for the phrase. And when Time magazine chose the sexual abuse “Silence Breakers” as its 2017 Person of the Year, Milano and Burke appeared together on American television.

Organizers of the Times Square New Year’s Eve event say they chose Burke after looking at some of the year’s major social and political changes.

In a statement, Burke said she was “delighted” to take part in the event. “I think it’s fitting to honor the Me Too movement as we close a historic year and set our intentions for 2018,” Burke said.

The Times Square New Year’s Eve party is the one of the oldest, biggest and most famous New Year’s celebration in America. The first New Year’s Eve celebration there took place in 1904. The owners of a building on Times Square held that first party on the roof of their building. Three years later, a New Year’s ball joined the celebration.

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

hashtag- n. a word or phrase that starts with the symbol # and that briefly⁴ indicates what a message (such as a tweet) is about

sexual assault - n. the crime of touching⁵ someone in an unwanted sexual way

harassment - n. the act of bothering someone in a repeated way

delighted - adj. made very happy : full of great pleasure or satisfaction

1 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。

2 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

3 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

4 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。