VOA慢速英语2020--殖民地的艺术品属于谁?

Is taking African artwork from a European museum a political act, or a criminal one? That is the question a French court is considering this week at the trial of a Congolese activist¹ who wants his country's art returned.

"It belongs to us!" shouted a Black woman watching the trial. She began to cry and then left the trial after a museum lawyer said the art belongs to the French state.

The Quai Branly Museum in Paris holds thousands of artworks from former colonies in African and Asia. Many of the valuable artworks were taken by colonial officials and brought to French museums.

Congo-born Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza and four other activists² are facing trial for attempted stealing. They tried to remove a 19th century African funeral pole from the museum. In June, they livestreamed the act on Facebook which they said was a protest. Guards quickly stopped them.

The activists argue that they never planned to steal the work. They wanted to call attention to its where it came from, they said.

At the trial, however, behind every question and answer were the bigger questions. How should former colonial rulers make up for their mistakes? Who really "owns" the artworks?

The questions took on new urgency after this year's international protests against racial injustice³.

Diyabanza saw an opportunity. In the past few months, he has livestreamed three museum protests in Paris, Marseille and the Netherlands.

French officials were very angry about the livestream. They said it threatens the current negotiations⁴ with African countries begun by President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 for legal, organized restitution⁵ efforts.

If found guilty of attempted group stealing of the art, Diyabanza could receive up to 10 years in prison and a fine of about $175,000. However, the lawyer for the French state did not ask for prison time. He asked for small fines. A decision on the case is expected on October 14.

Diyabanza defended what he called a "political act." He said Africans, Latin Americans and other colonized⁶ countries should take back their treasures.

He accuses European museums of making a lot of money from artworks taken from now-poor countries like Congo. He said the funeral pole belongs to Chad and should be returned.

"We are the legitimate⁷ heirs of these works," he said. But he said he was not trying to take the art, instead...The aim was to mark the symbolism of the liberation of these works."

The judge asked the activists why they thought they had the right to take the law into their own hands. He said that the trial was about taking the funeral pole. He said his court was not able to judge France's acts as a colonial ruler.

Museum lawyer Yvon Goutal argued that, because of the discussions between France and African governments, "there is no need for this political act." The French state "is very committed to this, and serious," he said. The prosecutor⁸ said the activists should have made their point in a more peaceful way.

`The Quai Branly Museum sits on the banks of the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower. It was built under former French President Jacques Chirac to showcase non-European art, most from former French colonies. It and some other French museums have about 90,000 works.

So far, France has agreed to return 26 works of African art.

Words In This Story

pole– n.a long, straight piece of wood or other material that often is placed so it stands straight up

livestream– v.to video something as it happens and to show it on social media

restitution– n.to give back something that was lost or stolen, or to pay someone for damage or problems they have had

legitimate –adj.permitted by law or rules

heir –n.a person who has the legal right to receive the property of someone who dies

symbolism –n.the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities

prosecutor– n. a lawyer who represents a government in a court and seeks punishment for someone accused of a crime

skull– n. the structure of bones that form the head and face

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 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 restitution   

n.赔偿；恢复原状

参考例句：

• It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿，这是再公平不过的了。
• The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。

6 colonized   

开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
• The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。

7 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

8 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。