时代周刊:美国种族问题"光说没有用"(6)

It was bad and everyone knew. When Chad hadn't returned for his bike a half hour later, the Ross girls gathered a toolbox from our garage.

这很糟糕，大家都知道。半小时后查德还没有回来取自行车，罗斯家的姑娘们就从我们家的车库里拿了一个工具箱。

With the help of our friends, we broke Chad's bike down to its parts. Handlebars, pedals, tires, main body, screws and washers, all left in a pile.

在朋友们的帮助下，我们把查德的自行车拆了个精光。车把、踏板、轮胎、车身、螺丝和垫圈，全都堆在一起。

Chad—who presumed himself smarter and better; who said he wanted to play with us but didn't like it when we won fair and square;

查德自以为聪明和优秀，他说他想和我们一起玩，但不喜欢我们光明正大地赢球。

who even as a child turned so automatically to that slur¹ as soon as he saw that we, that day, beat him—would have to figure out how to get it all home.

当他还是个孩子的时候，当他看到那天我们打败他的时候，他就会不由自主地对我们说脏话——他必须想办法把这一切都弄回家。

Later, Chad's father, his son cowering² behind him, rang our doorbell to demand that we apologize.

后来，查德的父亲，他的儿子躲在他身后，按响了我们的门铃，要求我们道歉。

The experiences that accompany life in the body of a person of color are well documented.

有色人种的身体伴随生活的经历都有很好的记录。

But even as the notion of white America's inherent superiority is verbally rejected, very few are willing to use what power they have to shift the systems that have served them well.

但是，即使美国白人天生优越的观念在口头上遭到拒绝，也很少有人愿意动用他们拥有的权力来改变对他们有利的体制。

Some people who are used to winning are having trouble playing fair. But America should not expect people of color to apologize for disassembling the vehicles that support racial inequality.

有些习惯赢球的人在公平竞争方面遇到了困难。但美国不应指望有色人种为拆卸支持种族不平等的车辆而道歉。

The people out there with the screwdrivers³ and wrenches⁴, trying to make the country into what it promised to be, are disproportionately people of color, particularly Black Americans.

那些拿着螺丝刀和扳手，试图把这个国家变成它所承诺的样子的人，大多是有色人种，尤其是美国黑人。

But if the suffering and loss of the past year is to have meaning, the work of private citizens cannot be enough. We must begin by holding to account those in power— especially the man in the White House.

但如果要让过去一年的痛苦和损失有意义，普通公民的努力是不够的。我们首先必须追究当权者的责任，尤其是白宫里的那个人。

The phrase Talk is cheap is a truism for a reason. We have heard enough. Now let's watch for what is done.

“光说没有用”这句老生常谈的话是有道理的。现在我们已经听够了，只想看看有什么行动。

1 slur   

v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音

参考例句：

• He took the remarks as a slur on his reputation.他把这些话当作是对他的名誉的中伤。
• The drug made her speak with a slur.药物使她口齿不清。

2 cowering   

v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He turned his baleful glare on the cowering suspect. 他恶毒地盯着那个蜷缩成一团的嫌疑犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He stood over the cowering Herb with fists of fury. 他紧握着两个拳头怒气冲天地站在惊魂未定的赫伯面前。 来自辞典例句

3 screwdrivers   

n.螺丝刀( screwdriver的名词复数 )；螺丝起子；改锥；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒

参考例句：

• No, I have everything: hammer, screwdrivers, all that stuff. 不用了，我什么都有了：锤子、螺丝刀，全套家伙。 来自休闲英语会话
• Aussies are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers. 每年有58个澳洲佬因使用锋利的刀子来代替螺丝刀而受伤。 来自互联网

4 wrenches   

n.一拧( wrench的名词复数 )；（身体关节的）扭伤；扳手；（尤指离别的）悲痛v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的第三人称单数 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛

参考例句：

• NEVER use wrenches or other persuaders to operate the valve. 禁止使用扳手或其它强制性工具来操作阀门。 来自互联网
• Thus, torque wrenches should be used for tightening DISS connections. 因此，应该使用转矩扳手来上紧DISS接头。 来自互联网