南非人纪念美国参议员罗伯特·肯尼迪

AS IT IS 2016-06-08 South Africans Remember US Senator Robert Kennedy 南非人纪念美国参议员罗伯特·肯尼迪

In June 1966, U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy visited South Africa and made what some historians believe was his best speech ever.

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal? or acts to improve the lot of others? or strikes out against injustice¹? he sends forth² a tiny ripple³ of hope? and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples⁴ build a current which can sweep down the mightiest⁵ walls of oppression and resistance.”

Fifty years later, his words are still remembered.

Recently, members of the Kennedy family traveled to South Africa to mark the anniversary of the speech.

In 1966, the country was living under apartheid, a social system in which whites had more political and economic rights than other races. At the time, it seemed as if South Africa’s racial separation policies would never end.

Robert Kennedy’s four-day visit raised hopes that apartheid might end someday.

Kennedy went to South Africa less than three years after the murder of his brother John F. Kennedy, the 35th president. In 1968, the senator hoped to become president. But he was shot and killed by a gunman after winning the Democratic Party’s presidential primary in California.

Kerry Kennedy is a human rights activist⁶ and Robert Kennedy’s daughter. She says that while race relations have improved in both the U.S. and in South Africa, changes took place because the two countries were forced to make them.

“All those changes took place not because governments wanted them to -- governments tried to stop them. And not because militaries wanted them to -- militaries tried to stop them. And not because huge multinational⁷ corporations wanted them to -- multinational corporations tried to stop them -- including South Africa.

"All those changes took place because small groups of determined⁸ people harnessed the dream of freedom and made it come true. That’s what creates change.”

Kennedy spoke⁹ to a gathering¹⁰ at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Many in the crowd were young South Africans who have expressed anger about corruption¹¹ and their political leaders. Millions of South Africans say they have yet to experience the economic equality they were promised when apartheid ended 20 years ago.

Kerry Kennedy said that, when times are dark, one thing always shines through: hope.

Words in This Story

ripple – n. something that passes or spreads through or over someone or something -- usually singular (often + of)

sweep down – v. to destroy or remove (something) completely

multinational corporations -- n. a company or business with offices around the world

harness – v. to use (something) for a particular purpose

1 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

4 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

5 mightiest   

adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的

参考例句：

• \"If thou fearest to leave me in our cottage, thou mightiest take me along with thee. “要是你害怕把我一个人留在咱们的小屋里，你可以带我一块儿去那儿嘛。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
• Silent though is, after all, the mightiest agent in human affairs. 确实，沉默毕竟是人类事件中最强大的代理人。 来自互联网

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。