VOA慢速英语2018 美国体操协会主席迫于压力辞职

USA Gymnastics President Resigns Under Pressure

The president of USA Gymnastics, Kerry Perry, resigned under pressure Tuesday. The move came days after the U.S. Olympic Committee questioned her ability to lead the organization.

周二，美国体操协会主席凯丽·佩里迫于压力辞职。就在她辞职的前几天，美国奥委会曾质疑她领导体操协会的能力。

Perry spent nine months as president. During that time, she faced criticism from current and former athletes over how she was dealing 1 with issues surrounding one of America’s biggest sexual abuse scandals in history.

佩里担任主席9个月。那段时间，她在处理美国历史上最大的性侵丑闻的方法上，受到了现任和前任运动员的批评。

USA Gymnastics’ longtime team doctor, Larry Nassar, is said to have abused more than 300 women and girls over a 30-year period.

拉里·纳萨尔是美国体操协会的长期队医。据说，他在30年里性侵了300多名女性。 

Nassar stopped working with USA Gymnastics in 2015. He is serving an effective life sentence in prison for sexually abusing patients during medical treatment and for possessing sexual images of children.

2015年，纳萨尔不再任美国体操协会队医一职。他因在医疗过程中对病人进行性侵犯以及保存儿童色情影像而被判终身监禁，目前正在服刑。

When Perry took the job last December, she said her aim would be to create “an environment of empowerment where all have a strong voice.”

佩里去年12月上任时曾表示，她的目标是创造“一个所有人都有强大发言权的环境”。 

But last week, USA Gymnastics faced criticism after the hiring of a coach for a high-level athlete development position. The coach, Mary Lee Tracy, publicly supported Nassar when abuse claims against him first appeared in the media two years ago.

但上周，美国体操协会在为高水平运动员发展职位聘请教练后，遭到了批评。两年前，当针对纳萨尔性侵的报导首次出现在媒体上时，教练玛丽·李·特蕾西曾公开支持他。

Tracy told one reporter that Nassar was an “amazing” doctor to her athletes. Her comments came after 50 women had said they were abused by Nassar.

特蕾西告诉记者，对她的运动员来说，纳萨尔是一位“了不起的”医生。在她发表这番言论之前，已有50名女性表示她们曾被纳萨尔性侵。

After USA Gymnastics announced Tracy’s new position, several of Nassar’s victims noted 2 Tracy’s early support of the former doctor.

在美国体操协会宣布特蕾西的新职位后，纳萨尔的几名受害者指出，特蕾西之前支持这位前队医。 

Olympic gold medalist and abuse survivor 3 Aly Raisman wrote on Twitter, “This is a slap in the face for survivors 4, and further confirmation 5 that nothing at USA Gymnastics has changed.”

阿利·雷斯曼是奥运会金牌得主，同时也是性侵受害者，她在推特上写道：“这是对受害者的一记耳光，进一步证实了美国体操协会没有做出任何改变。”

Tracy then reportedly made an effort last week to contact Raisman to apologize.

据报道，上周特蕾西为道歉而努力联系雷斯曼。 

USA Gymnastics answered that attempt by asking Tracy to step down. The organization said Tracy had “inappropriately contacted a survivor.”

美国体操协会通过要求特蕾西辞职来回应这一尝试。该协会称，特蕾西“不合时宜地联系受害者”。 

Raisman is one of many abuse survivors suing USA Gymnastics. The USA Gymnastics request for Tracy to resign was likely done to protect the organization legally.

雷斯曼是众多控诉美国体操协会的性侵受害者之一。美国体操协会要求特蕾西辞职很可能是为了合法保护该协会。

The move brought a new wave of negative media attention. The newly hired chief of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Sarah Hirshland, published a statement about USA Gymnastics on Friday. She wrote that “it is time to consider making adjustments in the leadership.”

此举引起了媒体新一轮的负面关注。周五，美国奥委会新任主席萨拉·赫什兰德发表了一份有关美国体操协会的声明。她写道，“是时候考虑调整领导层了。”

The U.S. Olympic Committee oversees 6 USA Gymnastics and other sports governing bodies.

美国奥委会负责监督美国体操协会和其他体育管理机构。 

Hirshland said the Olympic Committee would speak with USA Gymnastics representatives over the weekend. The discussion ended with Perry stepping down.

赫什兰德说，奥委会将在周末与美国体操协会代表进行会谈。讨论以让佩里辞职而告终。 

It is unclear how much of an effect Perry had in helping 7 USA Gymnastics set a new path. Many of the moves Perry announced during her time as president came only after strong public pressure.

佩里在帮助美国体操协会开辟新道路方面发挥了多大作用，目前尚不清楚。佩里在任职期间宣布的许多举措都是在公众施加强烈压力之后才实施。

In January, for example, USA Gymnastics canceled its agreement to buy the Karolyi Ranch 8 in Texas. The site had been a longtime training center for the women’s national team. Many former team members have said Nassar repeatedly sexually abused them there.

例如，1月份，美国体操协会撤销了购买德克萨斯州卡洛利农场的协议。那里曾是女子国家队的长期训练中心。许多前队员表示，纳萨尔在那里多次对她们进行性侵。

But that decision came only after Olympic champion Simone Biles said she was abused by Nassar at the Ranch and questioned why she would have to return there to train.

但直到奥运冠军西蒙·拜尔斯说她在卡洛利农场被纳萨尔性侵，并质疑她为什么要回那里训练之后，她才做出了这个决定。

Perry made few public statements during her nine months with USA Gymnastics. She appeared at a congressional hearing to discuss the future of the organization and how it handled claims of sex abuse. Her answers, however, offered few details.

在担任美国体操协会主席的九个月里，佩里很少发表公开声明。她出席了国会听证会，讨论该协会未来的发展以及该如何处理性侵指控。然而，她的回答没有提供多少细节。

At last month’s national championships, Biles noted Perry’s lack of communication. When reporters asked her if she felt Perry should speak up more, Biles answered, “Yes, it’s her job.”

在上个月的全国锦标赛上，拜尔斯指出佩里缺乏沟通。当记者问她是否觉得佩里应该多说点什么时，拜尔斯回答说，“是的，这是她的工作。”

Words in This Story

athlete - n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength

scandal - n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong?

empowerment - n. the process of becoming stronger and more able to control one's life and claiming one's rights.

amazing - adj. causing great surprise or wonder : causing amazement 9

slap in the face - expression. something that is upsetting to someone because it shows a lack of respect or support

inappropriately - adv. ?not right or suited for some purpose or situation?

sue - v. to use a legal process by which you try to get a court of law to force a person, company, or organization that has treated you unfairly or hurt you in some way to give you something or to do something?

adjustment - n. a change that makes it possible for a person to do better or work better in a new situation