VOA慢速英語:Obama: Economic Justice is Unfinished Business

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

這里是美國之音慢速英語新聞報道。

President Barack Obama this week joined hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for civil rights. The president noted what he called "unfinished business" in the struggle for equality and justice in the United States. His comments come at a time when Americans are talking about civil rights and race relations.

本周，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)加入了美國各地成千上萬美國人的行列，參加了在華盛頓舉行的紀念民權50周年游行。奧巴馬指出了美國爭取平等和正義未竟的事業(yè)。他的言論出臺正值美國人都在討論公民權利和種族關系。

Some are still reacting to a Florida court's decision in the murder trial of George Zimmermann. The jury found the neighborhood watch volunteer not guilty in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American.

一些人仍然對佛羅里達州法院就喬治·齊默爾曼謀殺案審判的裁決憤憤不平。陪審團裁定鄰里守望志愿者齊默爾曼在槍殺17歲非洲裔少年特雷沃恩·馬丁(Trayvon Martin)案件中罪名不成立。

On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people marched in Washington for jobs and civil rights. It was the biggest demonstration of its kind. Many people stood outside the Lincoln Memorial to hear speakers talk about civil rights for African Americans.

1963年8月28日，25萬人在華盛頓為爭取工作和公民權利舉行游行示威，也是這類游行規(guī)模最大的一次。許多人站在林肯紀念堂外面，通過大喇叭聆聽關于非裔美國人公民權利的討論。

The march ended with civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. His comments energized the civil rights movement in the United States and led to important laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law bars major forms of discrimination against minorities and women.

游行以民權領袖牧師馬丁·路德·金(Martin Luther King, Jr.)最著名的演講“我有一個夢想”收尾。他的言論激勵了美國公民權利運動，并導致重要的法律出臺，其中包括1964年民權法案。該法律禁止歧視少數民族和婦女。

Last Wednesday, the nation's first black president stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Mr. Obama remembered King and the sacrifices of those who marched here in Washington. He said the marchers brought change not only for African Americans, but also for other groups and for those hoping for freedom around the world.

上周三，美國首位黑人總統(tǒng)奧巴馬站到了林肯紀念堂的臺階上。他回憶了馬丁·路德·金，以及參加那次華盛頓游行者所作出的犧牲。他說，游行者不僅給非裔美國人帶來了改變，也為世界各地其它團體和渴望自由的人們帶來了改變。

The president's speech marked one of the first times since he took office in 2009 that he has spoken about issues of race. It also came two months after the nation's highest court ruled against part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

奧巴馬的這次講話是他2009年上任以來首次談到種族問題，也正值美國最高法院裁定否決1965年投票權法案部分內容的兩個月之后。

Mr. Obama said those who suggest little has changed in America dishonor the marchers of 50 years ago. At the same time, he said work toward racial equality is not complete. The president noted that challenges to voting rights, high unemployment rates and other problems need attention.

奧巴馬表示，那些認為改變微乎其微的人，對不起50年前的這些游行者。與此同時他表示，爭取種族平等的工作尚未完成。奧巴馬指出，我們需要對投票權、高失業(yè)率和其它問題的挑戰(zhàn)引起注意。

"To secure the gains that this country has made requires constant vigilance, not complacency, whether by challenging those who erect new barriers to the vote, or ensuring that the scales of justice work equally for all, and the criminal justice system is not simply a pipeline from under-funded schools to overcrowded jails. It requires vigilance."

他說，“為了維持這個國家已經取得的進步，必須時刻保持警惕，不可意得自滿。無論是挑戰(zhàn)那些給投票設立新壁壘的人，還是確保正義的天平對所有的人一視同仁，以及刑事司法系統(tǒng)不單純是從資金不足的學校到人滿為患的監(jiān)獄之間的通道，都須要保持警惕。”

The crowd on the National Mall here in Washington also heard from present-day civil rights leaders, movie stars and two former U.S. presidents. Like Mr. Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter belong to the Democratic Party. Mr. Carter also criticized the Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act.

華盛頓國家廣場的人群還聽取了當今民權領袖、電影明星以及兩位前任美國總統(tǒng)的演講。和奧巴馬一樣，比爾·克林頓(Bill Clinton)和吉米·卡特(Jimmy Carter)都屬于民主黨?？ㄌ叵壬才u了美國最高法院就投票權法案的裁決。

"I believe we all know how Dr. King would have reacted to the new ID requirements to exclude certain voters, especially African Americans. I think we all know how Dr. King would have reacted to the Supreme Court striking down a crucial part of the Voters Rights Act just recently passed overwhelmingly by Congress."

他說，“我想大家都知道，金博士對排除某些選民，特別是非裔美國人的新選民身份要求將作何反應。我想大家都知道，金博士對最高法院推翻投票權法案重要內容剛剛獲得國會壓倒多數通過將作何反應。”

Another speaker was Martin Luther King's youngest child, Bernice King. She spoke about her father's message to "Let Freedom Ring."

另一位發(fā)言者是馬丁·路德·金最小的孩子，柏妮絲·金(Bernice King)。她談到了父親的教導“讓自由之聲回響。”

"Today, 50 years later, my friends, we are still crippled by practices and policies steeped in racial pride, hatred and hostility, some of which have us standing our ground rather than finding common ground."

她說，“如今，50年過去了，我的朋友們，我們仍然困于沉浸在種族優(yōu)越感、憎恨和敵意的現實和政策中，這其中一些使得我們堅守我們的立場，而不是尋找讓我們尋找共同點。”

Some people in the crowd also took part in the 1963 march. They said they are prepared to keep the dream of racial equality alive.

這次游行的一些參與者還參加過1963年游行。他們表示，他們準備好了讓種族平等夢想繼續(xù)下去。