美国国家公共电台 NPR NFL Players Move Their Protests Off The Field, Grilling DA Candidates

 

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Some NFL players who took a knee during the national anthem¹ to call attention to police violence and racism² are now working off the football field in the political arena³. Last night in Massachusetts, three New England Patriots⁴ took on five candidates for district attorney, grilling⁵ them on how they would make the criminal justice system more fair. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.

TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE⁶: They're used to rushing, tackling and taking hits in front of 65,000 screaming spectators, but it was a different ballgame last night at an inner-city middle school, facing five candidates vying⁷ to be district attorney in the Boston area.

MATTHEW SLATER: Nervous level is pretty high right now.

SMITH: Patriots player Matthew Slater clutched a wad of notes as he sat down with teammates and twin brothers Jason and Devin McCourty.

DEVIN MCCOURTY: All of us at first was like, huh, you know? What do you mean us host a forum⁸?

JASON MCCOURTY: It's been a little intimidating⁹, to be honest with you.

SMITH: But ultimately, the three volunteered to do it, hoping to highlight the issues players started to raise by taking a knee.

D. MCCOURTY: The anthem had its role. But I think if we just took a knee every Sunday, and we did that for five years, would anything change in the communities? I don't think so. I think this is the focus.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Please join me in welcoming our first moderator, Devin McCourty.

SMITH: The two-time Super Bowl champ came out strong.

D. MCCOURTY: Our criminal justice system is broken. And our most marginalized communities, they are harmed the most.

SMITH: McCourty went on to make the case for why the DA's race matters.

D. MCCOURTY: DAs have the power to prosecute¹⁰, the power to sentence, but they also have the power to seek mercy and second chances.

SMITH: It set the tone for the whole forum, as players threw out questions on discriminatory policing, immigration, racial disparities in bail¹¹ and mass incarceration¹². And candidates insisted they get it.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Also, as Devin said, I know the difference between a criminal and someone who needs a second chance.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: We deserve a criminal justice system where wealth- and race-based disparities are eliminated.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: If you continue to prosecute people and not prosecute the conditions that exist that cause people to act out, you will end up with the exact same result - mass incarceration.

SMITH: Things got a little testier as some candidates struck a different tone.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: I don't hate on police.

SMITH: Several got heckled, and the audience grew increasingly unruly.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: (Screaming) They asked him a question, and they want the answer to the question.

SMITH: Leaving players struggling to maintain control.

J. MCCOURTY: Hold on. Hold on. Can I just say something? Just give everybody a chance to listen. I respect you all, like...

SMITH: The forum was the latest in a series organized by the Players Coalition¹³, a group that recently struck a deal with NFL owners for a $90 million campaign for social justice. While some players have dismissed the deal as a sellout, UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus¹⁴ Harry¹⁵ Edwards calls it good strategy.

HARRY EDWARDS: They're doing something that's constructive¹⁶ and productive without falling into the kinds of patriotic¹⁷ quicksand traps that have been thrown up, fueled and inflamed¹⁸ by the current administration.

SMITH: Pats players have also lobbied successfully to loosen Massachusetts juvenile¹⁹ justice laws in addition to holding court at last night's community forum.

D. MCCOURTY: Make sure you go out there and vote September 4. Thank you.

SMITH: Many in the audience, like 36-year-old Judy Rose, praised the players for knowing their stuff and drawing people in.

JUDY ROSE: My son is excited to be here. And normally, he's like, (groaning), Mom, why? But he's excited, and he was actually listening.

SMITH: Several, though, like Carla Sheffield, whose son was fatally shot by a police officer, were frustrated²⁰ that players didn't press some questions harder.

CARLA SHEFFIELD: I just want to know if they would prosecute a police officer.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7: I wanted to ask - I wanted to ask - I wanted to ask - well, they all said that they would.

SMITH: But then, moments later.

SHEFFIELD: Can you take this picture for me, please?

SMITH: For their part, Patriots players called the night a learning experience, but definitely a win. Just having the conversation, they say, helps move the ball down the field. Tovia Smith, NPR News, Boston.

1 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

2 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

3 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

4 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

5 grilling   

v.烧烤( grill的现在分词 )；拷问，盘问

参考例句：

• The minister faced a tough grilling at today's press conference. 部长在今天的记者招待会上受到了严厉的盘问。
• He's grilling out there in the midday sun. 他在外面让中午火辣辣的太阳炙烤着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

9 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

10 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

11 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

12 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

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 emeritus   

adj.名誉退休的

参考例句：

• "Perhaps I can introduce Mr.Lake Kirby,an emeritus professor from Washington University?"请允许我介绍华盛顿大学名誉教授莱克柯尔比先生。
• He will continue as chairman emeritus.他将会继续担任荣誉主席。

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

16 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

17 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

18 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

20 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》