美国国家公共电台 NPR--California panel calls for billions in reparations for descendants of slaves

California panel calls for billions in reparations for descendants of slaves

Transcript¹

A task force in California approved recommendations on how the state can apologize to, and compensate², descendants of slavery. The recommendations head to state lawmakers next.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

A California task force is calling for what may amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in reparations for slavery. The state legislature established this group, and it's recommending payments for the descendants of the enslaved, both for the injustice³ to their ancestors and for discrimination in more recent times. NPR's Sandhya Dirks joins us. Good morning.

SANDHYA DIRKS, BYLINE⁴: Good morning.

INSKEEP: What does this group of nine lawmakers and experts have to say?

DIRKS: The panelists' final report is long - about 40 chapters long - and it's a reflection of the work the panel has been doing, which has included hearing a lot of testimony⁵ from experts and people talking about what they've been through. They've heard about California's fugitive⁶ slave law, which was harsher than federal law. They've heard from Black families who still have the deeds to land that was taken from them.

The report draws a direct line from slavery to today, telling a story about how Black labor⁷ was not just extracted to create white wealth, but how Black wealth was continuously stolen and stunted⁸, using patterns of discrimination that play out decade after decade. So first up, the report says, you know, it's time for an apology. And there's lots to atone⁹ for, including big systemic issues like how California police disproportionately stop, injure and kill Black people, and then they get into the money, real cash payments.

INSKEEP: How do they put a dollar amount on all of these different incidents over the course of generations?

DIRKS: There's this line in the report that really stands out to me. It says, the task of calculating the cost of tears and blood and human rights violations¹⁰ is a challenge. I think calling it a challenge is even an understatement, because it's not just the loss of lives and land. It's also about looking at the loss of so much potential. The task force has actually worked with some economists¹¹ to come up with a formula which in part has to do with people's exposures to these five categories, what they call atrocities¹².

So those are health harms, mass incarceration¹³ and overpolicing, housing discrimination, unjust property takings by eminent¹⁴ domain¹⁵ and devaluation of African American businesses. The report also notes that that list is not exhaustive, but it's what they have quantifiable data for. The amount that they are suggesting is going to be different for each person based on how they were impacted and for how long. So at the very highest end, someone who has been impacted by all these things for the longest possible period of time could be eligible¹⁶ for around $1.2 million.

INSKEEP: I guess we should note this is a recommendation, not a final decision. But if the state were to pay, who would be eligible for that kind of payment?

DIRKS: So last year, the task force voted to make these reparations lineage-based, which means they're eligible to direct descendants of enslaved people. But that's still a contentious¹⁷ point - it comes up at every meeting - which those in favor of lineage-based reparations say that they're afraid will be watered down. Another thing I want to point out is I've been seeing increasing misinformation and racist¹⁸ messaging around reparations from some people on the right. There's been some misreporting on the amount of money. There's also been an increasing amount of racism¹⁹ about reparations on Twitter and on other social media sites. A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that while 77% of Black respondents supported reparations, only 18% of white respondents did.

INSKEEP: I feel the need to just underline one more time here. We're saying this is reparations for slavery. But the panel has looked at generations of misdeeds, and it could involve something that happened three years ago. Is that right?

DIRKS: Absolutely. It's not just about slavery. It's about the legacies²⁰ of systemic racism that extend far beyond that.

INSKEEP: NPR's Sandhya Dirks, thanks so much.

DIRKS: Thank you.

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 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

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 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 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

6 fugitive   

adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者

参考例句：

• The police were able to deduce where the fugitive was hiding.警方成功地推断出那逃亡者躲藏的地方。
• The fugitive is believed to be headed for the border.逃犯被认为在向国境线逃窜。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 stunted   

adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
• But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。

9 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

11 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

14 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

15 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

16 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

17 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

18 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

19 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。

20 legacies   

n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症

参考例句：

• Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind. 书是伟大的天才留给人类的精神财富。 来自辞典例句
• General legacies are subject to the same principles as demonstrative legacies. 一般的遗赠要与指定数目的遗赠遵循同样的原则。 来自辞典例句