VOA慢速英语2017 柬埔寨裔美国人认为选举偏向白人

Cambodian-Americans Compete in Local Elections

This November, Lowell, Massachusetts will hold city council elections. Lowell is home to the second-largest Cambodian population in the United States. Four Cambodian-Americans are competing for positions on the city council.

今年11月，马萨诸塞州的洛厄尔市将进行市政府选举。洛厄尔是美国柬埔寨人口第二多的城市。有4名柬埔寨裔美国人也准备在市政府选举中竞选职位。

Since 1999, only four candidates from Asian or Hispanic communities have been elected to the City Council. And voters have never chosen a minority candidate for the Lowell School Committee.

自1999年以来，只有4名来自亚洲和拉丁社群的候选人当选过市政府职位。而选民们从来没有为洛厄尔教育委员会选定过少数种族的候选人。

Last May, a group of residents of Lowell brought legal action against the city. The group accused the city of discrimination against minorities in its electoral system. Elections for all council seats are city wide. The group says the system favors white candidates.

去年5月份，洛厄尔当地的一些市民与该市政府对簿公堂。这些市民指责该市政府在选举体系中歧视少数种族。虽然所有选举席位是面向全市开放的，但该团体表示，选举体系还是倾向于白皮肤的候选人。

A major issue currently before the city council is whether to move Lowell High School or remodel 1 it in place. Residents have strong feelings for and against moving the school.

现在该市政府目前面临的一个主要问题是是否撤销洛厄尔教育委员会或对其进行重组。对于是否撤销该委员会，赞成之声和反对之声都很强烈。

Sokhary Chau is one of four Cambodian-American candidates. He called the election “crucial.”

Sokhary Chau是4名柬埔寨裔美国候选人之一。他认为这次选举很“关键”。

“The good thing is a lot of people are going to get involved in this election. The bad is the city is dividing,” he said.

好处是：很多人都将参与到此次选举中。而坏处是：洛厄尔愈发分化，他如是说道。

Vesna Noun is another of the Cambodian-American candidates. He won a council seat in 2010 but lost two reelection efforts.

韦斯娜 努恩是另一名柬埔寨裔美国候选人。他在2010年的选举中赢得了一个席位，但失去了两次再选举的机会。

Noun agrees that the high school is an issue of serious debate. But, he said there is also still serious public division over the issue of minority representation and the legal action brought in May. He said the council needs to settle that privately 2.

努恩认为，高中的问题是需要严肃讨论的问题。但他也表示，在少数种族代表性的问题上以及5月份所采取的法律行动的问题上，公众依然分化严重。他表示，政府需要私下解决这件事。

“It will affect the reputation of the city, if this matter is handled at the federal court,” he said.

他表示，如果在联邦法院上处理此事，将会影响到该市的声誉。

Candidate Sokhary Chau agrees.

候选人Sokhary Chau对这一点也表示同意。

“It is better to change from the inside,” he said.

他表示，最好能从内部发生改变。

Chau, and others, are calling for a change in the government leadership.

Chau和其他一些人都在呼吁对政府领导班子进行改变。

There is "a lot of dissatisfaction and disconnection to the local government,” Chau said. “I hope to bring diversity and new ideas, pretty much new faces to the city.”

Chau表示，人们对当地政府有很多不满和沟通不当。我希望能带来多样化和新观点，为洛厄尔带来很多新的面孔。

Mathew LeLacheur, a white candidate for City Council, said he wants to see minority involvement at all levels of government.

马修是市政府的一名白人候选者，他表示他希望看到少数种族参与到各级政府的工作中。

LeLacheur said he would like to see more Cambodian-Americans on the local boards and commissions.

马修还表示，他想要看到更多的柬埔寨裔美国人出现在当地的各种董事会和委员会中。

Words in This Story

resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place

crucial – adj. extremely important

reputation – n. the way in which people think of someone or something

board – n. a group of people who manage or direct a company or organization

diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization

commission – n. a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something