VOA标准英语2011--Occupy Wall Street Protesters Reflect US Diversity

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Reflect US Diversity

Zuccotti Park, located in downtown New York City, is usually where bankers and traders from Wall Street would enjoy a quiet lunch. Recently, though, it has been taken over by people who are protesting - among other things -- what those bankers stand for.

Their demands are vague but their grievances¹ are many. The new inhabitants of Zuccotti Park share a common emotion: they are angry with the status quo in America.

“People are pissed off and a lot of reasons I've heard today they have a right to be pissed off. People are working all their lives and the political and economic system is pretty much setting them up to fail,” said protestor Shaun Collins.

Ron Caldwell is also angry. “Workers, essentially², are getting the raw end of the stick. .. the fact that we have not regulated Wall Street when they brought this recession on us,” he said.

As is Sarah Quinn, who is 28-years old and works in Brooklyn. “And a lot of people spent too much time not saying anything. So we have to bring that back. And that is what I want to accomplish here,” Quinn said.

They have come from all over the country for a variety of reasons.

The Occupy Wall Street movement’s rallying cry is that 1% of the population controls more than 40% of the wealth, leaving the 99% percent to split the rest.

“Economic justice and economic democracy are real issues in an advanced capitalist democracy. I think this is a conversation that needs to be had, how do we make society more democratic?,” said protester Janie Rinaldie.

“But I’m still living hand to mouth. And that is another issue I have, where if I am this “successful”, then what is going on with people that are, you know, that are not as well off as I am,” said Quinn.

The occupation of Wall Street has now turned into a community. There is a kitchen. There is a library. They have schools. They have music.

And they say they are not going away.

But change will be very hard to define until the participants in “Occupy Wall Street” can voice their goals. And at this moment, their message is as diverse as the people who are taking part.

1 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。