美国国家公共电台 NPR Pastor Raises Money To Buy Out Liquor Stores Near Reservation

 

LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

The town of Whiteclay, Neb., has a population of 14 people. But its four liquor stores sell 4 million cans of beer each year, mostly to residents of the Pine Ridge¹ Reservation, which is officially dry and right across the state line. The effort to close the Whiteclay stores has spanned decades. But as Jim Kent reports, there's a new assault on two fronts, including one from a minister who's looking to buy the stores.

JIM KENT, BYLINE²: Pastor³ Bruce BonFleur is one of a dozen people appointed to the Whiteclay task force a year ago by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. Their goal was to find solutions to the long-simmering conflict.

BRUCE BONFLEUR: It was about midway through that last year that at one of those meetings, one of the beer store owners, in frustration⁴, just kind of blurted⁵ out, we just need to sell. You know, I need to sell, you know, get out.

KENT: Those comments, echoed by all the store owners, reflected frustration from years of protest over the sale of alcohol to tribal⁶ members.

BONFLEUR: So when he said that, I said to him - well, if that really becomes a situation that you're serious about, come see me. I don't have any moneybags attached to me. But we do have some contacts with foundations and other groups of people. About four months later, one of the beer store owners, representing all four, drove into our driveway at our house in Whiteclay and said, hey, the guys have got together, and we want to sell.

KENT: So Pastor BonFleur formed a nonprofit and went to work trying to raise the capital. His goal was to close the stores while helping⁷ the Oglala Sioux Tribe and revitalizing the tiny town of Whiteclay. The store owners confirmed that effort. But citing concerns over the sale, none agreed to go on record for this story. The price they gave Pastor BonFleur was $6.3 million.

BONFLEUR: We hope that the good people of Nebraska and whoever else hears this - nationwide or worldwide, whatever - will say, this is one way that we can end this. We can end this travesty⁸.

KENT: Outside Stateline Liquor, April Thunder Hawk⁹ is just getting in her car. The young Lakota woman is neatly¹⁰ dressed in jeans and a light jacket and is carrying a small paper bag. She says that even though she stops by here regularly, she'd be happy if all the stores closed.

APRIL THUNDER HAWK: I think that that'd be awesome¹¹.

KENT: Why?

THUNDER HAWK: I don't know. It just looks depressing around here. It's just horrible. I don't like these four stores, but I still come here.

KENT: Because there aren't many other options, even for snacks and soft drinks. But there are plans underway for a better future for Whiteclay. Pastor BonFleur says his friend is setting up a warehouse¹² for donated building materials to create mini homes. And Family Dollar has announced a Whiteclay location once the liquor stores are gone. Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer¹³ is a member of the Oglala Tribe and the first Native American to serve in his state's legislature. He says there are other factors prompting the store owners to sell.

TOM BREWER: There is charges right now against all four store owners for bootlegging and the fact that there's been several hundred ambulance calls. And it just has become a terrible burden.

KENT: That burden could be lifted on April 6 when the Nebraska Liquor Commission decides whether to renew the stores' licenses¹⁴. Even if it doesn't, lawsuits¹⁵ are unlikely and sales could continue. So Pastor BonFleur will keep trying to raise the millions necessary to buy out the stores and close their businesses once and for all.

For NPR News, I'm Jim Kent in Whiteclay, Neb.

(SOUNDBITE OF VICTOR BERMON'S "FAMOUS DISCUSSION")

1 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

2 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。

3 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

4 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

5 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

7 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。

8 travesty   

n.歪曲，嘲弄，滑稽化

参考例句：

• The trial was a travesty of justice.这次审判嘲弄了法律的公正性。
• The play was,in their view,a travesty of the truth.这个剧本在他们看来是对事实的歪曲。

9 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

10 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

11 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

12 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

13 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

14 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

15 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句