美国国家公共电台 NPR NFL Players Move Their Protests Off The Field, Grilling DA Candidates
时间：2019-01-17 作者：英语课 分类：2018年NPR美国国家公共电台6月
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Some NFL players who took a knee during the national anthem 1 to call attention to police violence and racism 2 are now working off the football field in the political arena 3. Last night in Massachusetts, three New England Patriots 4 took on five candidates for district attorney, grilling 5 them on how they would make the criminal justice system more fair. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.
TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE 6: They're used to rushing, tackling and taking hits in front of 65,000 screaming spectators, but it was a different ballgame last night at an inner-city middle school, facing five candidates vying 7 to be district attorney in the Boston area.
MATTHEW SLATER: Nervous level is pretty high right now.
SMITH: Patriots player Matthew Slater clutched a wad of notes as he sat down with teammates and twin brothers Jason and Devin McCourty.
DEVIN MCCOURTY: All of us at first was like, huh, you know? What do you mean us host a forum 8?
JASON MCCOURTY: It's been a little intimidating 9, to be honest with you.
SMITH: But ultimately, the three volunteered to do it, hoping to highlight the issues players started to raise by taking a knee.
D. MCCOURTY: The anthem had its role. But I think if we just took a knee every Sunday, and we did that for five years, would anything change in the communities? I don't think so. I think this is the focus.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Please join me in welcoming our first moderator, Devin McCourty.
SMITH: The two-time Super Bowl champ came out strong.
D. MCCOURTY: Our criminal justice system is broken. And our most marginalized communities, they are harmed the most.
SMITH: McCourty went on to make the case for why the DA's race matters.
D. MCCOURTY: DAs have the power to prosecute 10, the power to sentence, but they also have the power to seek mercy and second chances.
SMITH: It set the tone for the whole forum, as players threw out questions on discriminatory policing, immigration, racial disparities in bail 11 and mass incarceration 12. And candidates insisted they get it.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Also, as Devin said, I know the difference between a criminal and someone who needs a second chance.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: We deserve a criminal justice system where wealth- and race-based disparities are eliminated.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: If you continue to prosecute people and not prosecute the conditions that exist that cause people to act out, you will end up with the exact same result - mass incarceration.
SMITH: Things got a little testier as some candidates struck a different tone.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: I don't hate on police.
SMITH: Several got heckled, and the audience grew increasingly unruly.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: (Screaming) They asked him a question, and they want the answer to the question.
SMITH: Leaving players struggling to maintain control.
J. MCCOURTY: Hold on. Hold on. Can I just say something? Just give everybody a chance to listen. I respect you all, like...
SMITH: The forum was the latest in a series organized by the Players Coalition 13, a group that recently struck a deal with NFL owners for a $90 million campaign for social justice. While some players have dismissed the deal as a sellout, UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus 14 Harry 15 Edwards calls it good strategy.
HARRY EDWARDS: They're doing something that's constructive 16 and productive without falling into the kinds of patriotic 17 quicksand traps that have been thrown up, fueled and inflamed 18 by the current administration.
SMITH: Pats players have also lobbied successfully to loosen Massachusetts juvenile 19 justice laws in addition to holding court at last night's community forum.
D. MCCOURTY: Make sure you go out there and vote September 4. Thank you.
SMITH: Many in the audience, like 36-year-old Judy Rose, praised the players for knowing their stuff and drawing people in.
JUDY ROSE: My son is excited to be here. And normally, he's like, (groaning), Mom, why? But he's excited, and he was actually listening.
SMITH: Several, though, like Carla Sheffield, whose son was fatally shot by a police officer, were frustrated 20 that players didn't press some questions harder.
CARLA SHEFFIELD: I just want to know if they would prosecute a police officer.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7: I wanted to ask - I wanted to ask - I wanted to ask - well, they all said that they would.
SMITH: But then, moments later.
SHEFFIELD: Can you take this picture for me, please?
SMITH: For their part, Patriots players called the night a learning experience, but definitely a win. Just having the conversation, they say, helps move the ball down the field. Tovia Smith, NPR News, Boston.
- All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
- As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。
- He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
- Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。
- She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
- He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。
- Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
- These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。
- The minister faced a tough grilling at today's press conference. 部长在今天的记者招待会上受到了严厉的盘问。
- He's grilling out there in the midday sun. 他在外面让中午火辣辣的太阳炙烤着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
- We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。
- California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
- Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。
- They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
- The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
- They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
- This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。
- I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
- Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？
- One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
- She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。
- He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
- Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句
- The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
- Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。
- "Perhaps I can introduce Mr.Lake Kirby,an emeritus professor from Washington University?"请允许我介绍华盛顿大学名誉教授莱克柯尔比先生。
- He will continue as chairman emeritus.他将会继续担任荣誉主席。
- Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
- Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
- We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
- He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。
- His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
- The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。
- His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
- Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
- Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。
- It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
- The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》