美国国家公共电台 NPR--Social justice activists continue to push for a name change to Faneuil Hall

Social justice activists¹ continue to push for a name change to Faneuil Hall

Transcript²

One of Boston's biggest attractions is named for former slave owner Peter Faneuil. There's been a debate over whether the collection of shops and restaurants should be renamed.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Faneuil Hall is one of Boston's most famous landmarks³. Activists and ministers want to rename it. Cristela Guerra from member station WBUR reports.

CRISTELA GUERRA, BYLINE⁴: Reverend Kevin Peterson sees the fight to change the name of Faneuil Hall as a spiritual one.

KEVIN PETERSON: On a certain level, racism⁵ is a spiritual crisis represented in our nation.

GUERRA: Over the years, he and other activists have fasted about it. They've prayed about it. They've certainly meditated⁶ on it. And on Wednesday, they sang about it, riffing off the Destiny's Child classic "Say My Name."

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Singing) Change the name. Change the name.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Singing) Change the name. Change the name.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Singing) Change everything about it. We can do without it.

GUERRA: Peterson and dozens of others gathered in front of Boston City Hall to once again demand the name change because Peter Faneuil was a known enslaver. He amassed⁷ his fortune in part by trafficking and selling human beings. Samuel Pierce from nearby Dorchester supports changing the name.

SAMUEL PIERCE: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley often said that the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power. To me, that translates into making sure that the government does not have buildings, streets or anything that it's responsible for named after slavery or oppressive people.

GUERRA: Before going upstairs, Pastor⁸ Valerie Copeland led a prayer.

VALERIE COPELAND: We mourn the countless⁹ hearts that were broken as human beings removed from their African homeland faced life of perpetual enslavement in a strange and hostile land. Those of us who are descendants continue to know that hostility¹⁰ and the denial of full citizenship¹¹.

GUERRA: Their song soon echoed through the lobby of City Hall.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Singing) Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom

GUERRA: They silently filed into the council chamber's room without their signs, but in shirts that read, changed the name. Boycott¹² Faneuil Hall, slave trader's hall. Then after several minutes, they left.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Change the name.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Change the name.

GUERRA: From there, they filed through Faneuil Hall, making speeches and chanting before doing a sit-in at Quincy Market in the midst of the lunch-hour rush. Tourists shopping and eating took notice. Some, like a group of teenagers visiting from Maine, said the solution seemed obvious.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Why not change it? Why would you keep the name if that's the case?

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Yeah. Before I came here, I didn't know the backstory on it, but now I do. And, yeah, definitely should be changed.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: It's giving very oppressive...

GUERRA: But others, including Cregg Paul and his family from Buffalo¹³, felt like the name change wouldn't actually do much.

CREGG PAUL: Why? I would say, why?

GUERRA: They're saying it's because he sold people.

PAUL: I'm pretty sure he's dead now, right?

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: Yeah.

PAUL: Yeah. He isn't buying any people right now, is he? So what's the difference? It's history.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: You can't erase¹⁴ history.

PAUL: If you don't like it, then I don't know what to tell you.

GUERRA: The hall sits in the middle of downtown Boston and sees millions of visitors a year. Reverend Peterson says they expect to see legislation filed soon to address the name change. In this way, he says, they change the narrative¹⁵ in the city. By changing the narrative, they change the future.

For NPR News, I'm Cristela Guerra in Boston.

(SOUNDBITE OF AMMONCONTACT'S "STEREO-X 5:15 PT 1")

1 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》

2 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。

3 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

6 meditated   

深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑

参考例句：

• He meditated for two days before giving his answer. 他在作出答复之前考虑了两天。
• She meditated for 2 days before giving her answer. 她考虑了两天才答复。

7 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

9 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

10 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

11 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

12 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。

13 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

14 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

15 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。