美国国家公共电台 NPR--After the Uvalde shooting, some parents feel called to politics

After the Uvalde shooting, some parents feel called to politics

Transcript¹

The shooting at Robb Elementary School has motivated many parents whose children were killed to become politically active. They're running for office and advocating for stricter gun laws.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

In Uvalde, Texas, many are looking to turn tragedy into transformative change. Last spring's deadly elementary school shooting there pushed many parents and community members into politics for the first time. The Texas Newsroom's Sergio Martinez-Beltran reports.

SERGIO MART?NEZ-BELTR?N, BYLINE²: For most of his life, Javier Cazares didn't care about politics.

JAVIER CAZARES: I came from a small town, and, you know, it had its issues - you know, bad roads. And I always said, you know, when I grow up, I want to change things like that. So then afterwards, never thought about it again until this happened.

MART?NEZ-BELTR?N: This, meaning when an 18-year-old gunman killed 21 people at Robb Elementary School last May, including Cazares' young daughter Jacklyn. He says Jacklyn was fearless. She spoke³ her mind, and after her death, he vowed⁴ to be more like her.

CAZARES: I promised my daughter I was going to fight, and that's a promise I'm not ever going to break.

MART?NEZ-BELTR?N: Cazares has launched a write-in campaign for a seat on the Uvalde County Commissioners⁵ Court. He and another write-in candidate want to oust⁶ the incumbent⁷ Mariano Pargas, who was acting⁸ chief for the Uvalde police on the day of the school shooting. Angela Villescaz is not running for office but founded a group called Fierce Madres, or mothers, in the days after the shooting.

ANGELA VILLESCAZ: The thing about Hispanic moms - we are often quiet or treated invisible or ignored. But you just don't mess with our kids.

MART?NEZ-BELTR?N: She and dozens of members have since gone to every Uvalde city council and school board meeting. They helped push for Pete Arredondo, the disgraced Uvalde schools police chief, to be fired. And he was. A Fierce Madres mom will soon take over Arredondo's seat on the city council that was left open after he resigned.

VILLESCAZ: That's extremely important because the things we want to get done - now we have an insight to the city council there.

MART?NEZ-BELTR?N: These activists¹⁰ and Cazares, Jacklyn's dad and now write-in candidate, want to get rid of everyone who played a role in the failed response to the shooting, from the acting Uvalde police chief to the school district superintendent¹¹. They want more transparency in city and county government. And they're also going after Governor Greg Abbott because he ruled out raising the minimum age from 18 to 21 to purchase a semi-automatic rifle in Texas, one of their main issues. In addition to pushing for change, psychologist Ronna Milo Haglili, who studies the link between trauma¹² and activism, says becoming an activist⁹ can help families heal.

RONNA MILO HAGLILI: They are trying to make sense of traumatic experiences. There is something within the engagement itself that is associated with a sense of vitality¹³, a sense of empowerment.

MART?NEZ-BELTR?N: Parents of the victims of other mass shootings, like Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut and Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Florida, have also formed advocacy groups in the aftermath. Meanwhile, Javier Cazares says delving¹⁴ into politics has kept him busy, though his mind is constantly filled with thoughts about his daughter.

CAZARES: We haven't really properly grieved because we've been fighting since Day 1. But we're sticking together, you know, staying strong. But it's a nightmare every day.

MART?NEZ-BELTR?N: A nightmare Cazares says they'll have to endure while they fight to help prevent the next mass shooting.

For NPR News, I'm Sergio Martinez-Beltran.

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 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。

3 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。

4 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

5 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

6 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

7 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 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。

10 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》

11 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

12 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

13 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

14 delving   

v.深入探究，钻研( delve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He has been delving into the American literature of 20th century. 他一直在潜心研究美国20世纪文学。 来自互联网
• In some ways studying Beckett is like delving into Shakespeare's words. 在某些方面，研究Beckett的戯好像是深入研究莎士比亚的语句。 来自互联网