VOA慢速英语2017 拟建博物馆将有助于人们铭记奴隶制

 

In 1991, workers in New York City made a troubling discovery.

1991年，纽约市的工人有了一些令人不安的发现。

They found human bones. After examinations by experts, the remains¹ were found to be of African-Americans, some of whom had been slaves. They had been buried in the 17th and 18th centuries.

他们发现了人类的遗骸。专家经过检验后发现遗骸为非裔美国人，其中一些人的身份是奴隶。17到18世纪时期，他们被埋葬在这里。

Now, members of Congress from the state of New York want a museum and education center built. They want to help people remember and learn about a very dark period in American history.

如今，纽约州的国会议员计划建立一间博物馆和教育中心。目的就是让人们铭记并深入了解历史上这个非常黑暗的时期。

The congressional members estimate that 20,000 people -- men, women and children -- were buried at the place in the lower part of the New York City borough² of Manhattan.

据国会议员统计，包括男性、妇女和儿童在内的约20000人长眠于纽约市曼哈顿市地下。

After the discovery of the remains, the burial ground was declared a National Historic Landmark³ in 1993. A monument was created in 2006 and later a visitor’s center opened.

1993年，遗骸发现地被列为国家历史地标。2006年，一座纪念碑建成后又设立了访客中心。

But supporters of the bill to build a museum and education center say more needs to be done so Americans will never forget about slavery. It was a period when people were shipped from Africa against their will, bought and sold, and made to work without pay. Many were separated from their families.

然而，支持建立博物馆和教育中心法案的民众表示，只有开展更多工作，美国人才不会忘却奴隶制。在这个黑暗时期，人们被强行带离非洲，任意买卖，被迫无偿劳动。许多非洲人因此妻离子散。

“Their contributions to America in the face of great injustice⁴ and persecution⁵ should not be forgotten,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat⁶ from New York.

纽约的民主党议员柯尔斯顿·吉莉布兰德（Kirsten Gillibrand）表示，“在饱受严重不公与迫害的情况下，他们对美国做出的贡献不应被遗忘。”

Congressman⁷ Adriano Espaillat, another New York Democrat, agreed.

纽约民主党议员阿德里亚诺·埃斯帕拉特（Adriano Espaillat）对此表示认可。

“It has been nearly 400 years since the first African slaves were brought to the United States, marking the beginning of one of the darkest periods of our nation’s history,” he said. Creating a museum and education center, Espaillat said, is a great way to examine the “suffering and injustice slavery” created throughout America.

“大约400年前，第一批非洲奴隶被带到美国，标志着美国史上最黑暗时期的开始。” 埃斯帕拉称，建立博物馆和教育中心是审视美国创建的“痛苦与不公正奴隶制”的最佳途径。

Michael Blakey is a physical anthropologist⁸ at William & Mary College in Virginia. He examined some of the skeletal remains that were found at the burial area.

迈克尔·布莱克（Michael Blakey）是弗吉尼亚州威廉玛丽学院的人类体格学专家。他鉴定了所发现的若干遗骸。

In an interview with Archaeology⁹ Magazine online, he said that many people are troubled by human remains. But he said they can provide important information about the people who were buried, including the countries they came from.

布莱克在接受《考古杂志》在线采访时表示，许多民众对人类遗骸心怀疑虑。但他解释称，遗骸可以鉴定所埋葬之人的身份和国籍等重要信息。

“In the proper context, science can give the public a chance to get close to these people,” he told the magazine.

他还表示，“在适当环境下，科学能够让公众有机会接近这群人”。

“They stir things in us -- many different feelings at once.”

“他们可以在一瞬间带给我们多种感觉。”

Words in This Story

museum - n. a building in which interesting and valuable things such as paintings, scientific or historical objects are collected and shown to the public

borough - n. part of a large city with its own government -- New York City has five boroughs¹⁰

monument - n. a building or statue that honors a person or event

contribution - n. something given to benefit somebody or something

persecution - n. to treat someone cruelly or unfairly especially because of race, religious or political beliefs

anthropologist --n. the study of human races, origins, societies, and cultures

context –n. the conditions that affected¹¹ something that happened

stir - v. to cause an emotion or reaction

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 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。

5 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

9 archaeology   

n.考古学

参考例句：

• She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。
• He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

10 boroughs   

（尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇

参考例句：

• London is made up of 32 boroughs. 伦敦由三十二个行政区组成。
• Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. 布鲁克林区是纽约市的五个行政区之一。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。