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 remains 1 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 borough 2 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 Landmark 3 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 injustice 4 and persecution 5 should not be forgotten,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat 6 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。”

Congressman 7 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 anthropologist 8 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 Archaeology 9 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 boroughs 10

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 affected 11 something that happened

stir - v. to cause an emotion or reaction