时代周刊:美国种族问题"光说没有用"(5)

I'm told that those of us who aren't white—a growing share of Americans— can take heart in knowing that our maltreatment is being discussed at all. This is akin¹ to a cruel warden² demanding extra pay for services rendered.

我被告知，我们这些非白人——越来越多的美国人——在知道我们的虐待被讨论后可以振作起来。就像一个残忍的监狱长要求为其提供的服务支付额外的报酬。

Those who live with the myriad³ consequences of inequality are, at this point, unlikely to be impressed by mildly uncomfortable chatter⁴ about race in America.

在这一点上，那些生活在无数不平等后果之中的人，不太可能对美国有关种族的略微令人不安的讨论留下深刻印象。

Many are, quite frankly⁵, already busy finding meaning in the American creed⁶, creating new possibilities and erecting⁷ work-arounds with the ingenuity⁸ and grit⁹ that have sustained them thus far.

坦率地说，许多人已经忙着在美国信条中寻找意义，创造新的可能性，用迄今支撑他们的独创性和毅力建立变通办法。

And as was evident in last summer's protests and the fall's election returns, Americans, but particularly Black Americans, have and will put in work to make a democracy of equals real.

从去年夏天的抗议活动和今年秋天的选举结果中可以明显看出，美国人，尤其是美国黑人，已经并将致力于实现平等的民主。

The situation reminds me of the first time I was called the N word to my face—far from the worst moment that being Black in America has brought me, but an instructive one.

这种情况让我想起了我第一次被人当面称为“黑鬼”的时候——这并不是美国黑人给我带来的最糟糕的时刻，但却是很有教育意义的时刻。

A few months before I began kindergarten, my parents emerged triumphant¹⁰ from their battle with banks, real estate agents and the opportunities available to Black people in the U.S. labor¹¹ market.

在我上幼儿园前的几个月，我的父母在与银行、房地产中介以及美国劳动力市场上黑人所能获得的机会的斗争中取得了胜利。

They bought their first home in a North Texas suburb so new that a wrong turn meant driving on a dirt road.

他们在北德克萨斯郊区买了第一套房子，房子太新了，一个错误的转弯意味着在一条土路上开车。

My parents grew up in the Jim Crow South. They knew how scary socalled economic anxiety can get when one group's stranglehold on privilege ends.

我的父母在南方的种族隔离地区长大。他们知道，当一个群体对特权的束缚结束时，所谓的经济焦虑会变得多么可怕。

So they didn't expect things to be easy in the new neighborhood. What mattered to me at the time: my sister and I quickly found friends.

所以他们不认为在新社区生活会很容易。当时对我来说最重要的是：我和姐姐很快找到了朋友。

There were three white girls next door and a Black and white biracial brother and sister opposite us in the cul-de-sac.

隔壁住着三个白人女孩，对面的死胡同里住着一对黑白混血的兄妹。

When a new boy showed up—Chad, towheaded and in tube socks—we were glad to include him.

当一个新来的男孩出现的时候——查德，沙洲头，穿着短袜——我们很高兴让他加入进来。

He was one more person to make the day's checkers tournament interesting and one more contender in our bike races to the end of the street and back.

他又多了一个人，使那天的跳棋比赛变得有趣，也多了一个骑自行车比赛的竞争者，往返于街道的尽头。

But when Chad lost, Chad got mad. Standing¹² near the curb¹³ outside our house, he leaped off his bike after a race and said it: He was sick of playing with "stupid niggers."

但查德输了，他很生气。站在我家门外的路边，他在一场比赛后跳下自行车，说：他厌倦了和“愚蠢的黑鬼”一起玩。

1 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

2 warden   

n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人

参考例句：

• He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
• The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。

3 myriad   

adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量

参考例句：

• They offered no solution for all our myriad problems.对于我们数不清的问题他们束手无策。
• I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements.我花了三个星期做大量准备工作。

4 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

7 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

8 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

9 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

10 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

11 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。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。