美国国家公共电台 NPR A Man And An Amendment Are Re-Examined In 'The Birth Of A Nation' And '13th'

A Man And An Amendment¹ Are Re-Examined In 'The Birth Of A Nation' And '13th'

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Two movies open today that deal with America's racial history. There is Nate Parker's drama, "The Birth Of A Nation." It tells the story of a real-life slave revolt. And there's Ava DuVernay's documentary, "13th." It examines the legacy³ of the constitutional amendment that outlawed⁴ slavery. Our critic, Bob Mondello, says the films intersect in complicated ways.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE⁵: A young and inquisitive⁶ 1820s slave in "Birth Of A Nation" discovers, almost as soon as he learns to read, that there will be limits to his reading.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BIRTH OF A NATION")

PENELOPE ANN MILLER⁷: (As Elizabeth Turner) These books are for white folks. They're full of things your kind wouldn't understand.

MONDELLO: What his kind would understand, figures the plantation's mistress, is the Bible. Young Nat Turner takes to the good book as he grows up and shares its teachings with his fellow slaves...

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BIRTH OF NATION")

NATE PARKER: (As Nat Turner) Heavenly Father, we come to thank you for your word and your will.

MONDELLO: ...Which attracts the attention of neighboring slave holders⁸.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BIRTH OF A NATION")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Your slaves sure do know how to behave.

ARMIE HAMMER: (As Samuel Turner) Well, they God-fearing. One of them is a preacher.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) People might good money to have them calmed down a bit, especially by one of their own.

MONDELLO: Nat's master realizes there'll be profit in renting Nat out to preach.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BIRTH OF NATION")

PARKER: (As Nat Turner) Submit yourselves to your masters - not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

MONDELLO: But Nat sees such brutality⁹ in his travels. Could the Bible really endorse¹⁰ it? His preaching changes in tone as he decides God wants him to lead a slave revolt.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BIRTH OF A NATION")

PARKER: (As Nat Turner) To execute vengeance¹¹ on the demonic nations, to bind¹² their kings with chains.

MONDELLO: Filmmaker Nate Parker has been nurturing¹³ "The Birth Of A Nation" for the better part of a decade, and it shows in imagery that can turn oddly haunting, even as the story lacerates - light streaming through slats in a barn, ripe cotton floating, cloud-like, in a field. Parker's directing style can be as in-your-face as his script.

He hammers home one slavery horror with a literal hammer, and he leans way too much on soaring strings¹⁴, all of which makes "Birth Of A Nation" more solid than shattering. Oscar talk would seem optimistic, even if Parker didn't have personal controversy¹⁵ swirling¹⁶ around him.

Still, it's an impressive first feature. In her documentary, "13th," Ava DuVernay notes that the wording of the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude, quote, "except as a punishment for crime," end quote. She then forcefully argues that that loophole has been used for politics and for profit.

She uses scenes from D. W. Griffith's original "Birth Of A Nation," a racist¹⁷ 1915 epic¹⁸, to establish how discriminatory attitudes were deliberately¹⁹ shaped after the end of slavery and how, in an age of mass incarceration²⁰, that has allowed prisons to become this era's plantations²¹.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "13TH")

JELANI COBB: There's a famous scene where a woman throws herself off a cliff rather than be raped²² by a black male criminal.

MONDELLO: Let me pause Professor Jelani Cobb to note that nearly every time someone utters that word - criminal - whether the speaker is a president, a professor, neighbor, newscaster, anyone at all - the screen fills with the word criminal in huge block letters. It's to mark how often and how casually²³ criminality gets linked with black men in public discourse²⁴. Now, back to describing that scene.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "13TH")

COBB: In the film, you see black people being a threat to white women.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: All the myths of black men as rapists was ultimately stemmed by the reality that the white political elite²⁵ and the business establishment needed black bodies working.

MONDELLO: Black bodies working - think roadside chain gangs or, more recently, corporations helping²⁶ rehabilitate²⁷ inmates²⁹ by paying them pennies to make sports uniforms. The movie's list of companies that have benefited from cheap inmate²⁸ labor³⁰ is long and damning. That's also true of its recounting of how the war on drugs created imbalances after separate-but-equal was otherwise banned - mandatory³¹ sentences identical for one ounce of crack cocaine³², used mostly in inner cities, and one hundred ounces of powdered cocaine, the drug of choice in white suburbs. It's a policy now condemned³³, not just by prison reform activists³⁵, but by some perhaps unexpected voices.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "13TH")

NEWT GINGRICH: We absolutely should have treated crack and cocaine as exactly the same thing.

MONDELLO: Yes, that's Newt Gingrich.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "13TH")

GINGRICH: It was an enormous burden on the black community, but it also fundamentally violated a sense of core fairness.

GINGRICH: Mixing talking heads with archival footage, DuVernay brings the same force to "13th" that she did to her Martin Luther King drama, "Selma," only, this time, she's mapping the twisty road since we've traveled since - well, as lawyer activist³⁴ Van Jones makes clear, since the events depicted³⁶ in "Birth Of A Nation."

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "13TH")

VAN JONES: They called the end of slavery jubilee³⁷. We thought we were done then. And then you had a hundred years of Jim Crow terror and lynching. Dr. King - these guys come on the scene - Ella Jo Baker³⁸, Fannie Lou Hamer. We get the bills passed to vote, and then they break out the handcuffs.

MONDELLO: A century and three-quarters after Nat Turner's slave revolt, a century and a half after the 13th Amendment, and still, says this powerful documentary, in chains. I'm Bob Mondello.

1 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

2 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

5 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。

6 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

7 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

8 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

9 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

10 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

11 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

12 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

13 nurturing   

养育( nurture的现在分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

14 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

15 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

16 swirling   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

17 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。

18 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

19 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

20 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

21 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

22 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

23 casually   

adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地

参考例句：

• She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
• I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

24 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

25 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

26 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

27 rehabilitate   

vt.改造(罪犯)，修复；vi.复兴，(罪犯)经受改造

参考例句：

• There was no money to rehabilitate the tower.没有资金修复那座塔。
• He used exercise programmes to rehabilitate the patients.他采用体育锻炼疗法使患者恢复健康。

28 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

29 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 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。

31 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

32 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

33 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

34 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。

35 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》

36 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

37 jubilee   

n.周年纪念；欢乐

参考例句：

• They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
• Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

38 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。