VOA标准英语2012--Occupy’s May Day on the Streets

Occupy’s May Day on the Streets

Demonstrators in New York started banging drums early despite rainy skies that appeared to threaten the day’s turnout. But this Occupy activist¹ was undaunted.

“If the NYPD [New York Police Department] can't stop us, Mother Nature can't stop us,"said the activist. "You can't stop the truth.”

Activists² in various venues³ throughout New York came to deliver a core message of the Occupy movement: growing income disparities between the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans and the remaining 99 percent. David Harvey, an anthropology⁴ professor at the City University of New York, made the point at an Occupy teach-in in Manhattan.

“We've got this situation where we don't have the money power," said Anthropology Professor David Harvey. "The only power we have is people. The only way politics is going to work for us is on the street. That's the only thing we got. That's the only power we got.”

Police arrested at least four marchers on the Williamsburg Bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan for not obeying an order to turn around. Police also made arrests at other venues.

Demonstrators handed out messages to shopkeepers calling for a general strike - no work, school or shopping. Hairdresser Lizzy Steelheart said she sympathizes with the Occupy movement. 

“I definitely support people speaking up about some of the economic injustice⁵ that’s going on in our country," she said.

Activists targeted banks and corporations they consider corrupt⁶ and greedy. Demonstrators took that message to Bank of America. But the movement’s call for a general strike did not materialize. As the hairdresser explained, she could not afford to take the day off. 

1 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。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

4 anthropology   

n.人类学

参考例句：

• I believe he has started reading up anthropology.我相信他已开始深入研究人类学。
• Social anthropology is centrally concerned with the diversity of culture.社会人类学主要关于文化多样性。

5 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。

6 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。