VOA常速英语:Raising Black Males

Black lives matter! Black lives matter!
黑人的生命很重要！
The protests, as a result of the murder of George Floyd, has been really, really painful to watch
由于乔治·弗洛伊德被谋杀而引发的抗议活动真的让人很心痛。
Just from the standpoint of,
从我的角度来看，
Im the mother of three Black men and Im the younger sister of three brothers.
我是三个黑人的母亲，也是三个黑人的妹妹
You think that a person, humanity would put value on a persons life.
你认为一个人一定会尊重是重视另一个人。
Thats what youve always been taught.Thats what youve always taught your children.
你一直以来都是这么被教育的。你也是一直这么教育你孩子的。
And then to see someone murdered in cold blood is just, its heartbreaking.
然后你看到有人被冷血谋杀，真是令人心碎。
It makes you angry.
这让你很生气。
Its a very focused agenda that
于是你突然有了一个紧急的事项，
you have to have as a parent of a Black son to make sure that they stay alive.
那就是作为一个黑人孩子的父母，你必须确保他们活着。
I think I told my mother this,but one time I was sitting in the parking lot at McDonalds.
我想我跟我妈说过，但有一次我坐在麦当劳的停车场。
We had just graduated and everything.So, me and my friend wanted to celebrate.
那天我们都毕业了。所以我和我的朋友想庆祝一下。
You know, we were just all sitting in the parking lot,
你知道，我们只是坐在停车场里，
eating food and just listening to music, basically.
就是吃吃东西，听听音乐。
So then, a police officer shined a light in the car and everything.
然后一个警察突然朝我们打开了车灯。
Then he came to us like, Do you guys have anything in here?
然后他过来说，“你们在这里有停车吗？”
And so, I just said, I said, No. It wasnt about like two minutes later, six, seven more police cars came and came.
然后我说，“没有。”大约两分钟后，又有六、七辆警车来了。
And they had pulled me out the car, pulled the other people out the car.
警察过来把我和其他人拉下了车。
But later on, I realized that the person who fit my description, so-called, didnt even fit my description.
但后来我发现，他所谓的“符合我特征”的嫌疑人根本不符合我的特征。
I mean, he was, he was bald. He was like light skinned.
他描述的那个人是个秃头，浅色皮肤的。
Thats just my biggest fear, is having somebody come to my doorand say, Are you Devontae Harrisons mom? This is what happened.
我最害怕的事情就是警察来敲我的门，然后问我，“你是德文泰哈里森的妈妈吗？事情就是这样...”
What I worry about the most is not their actions, but the actions of other people.
我最担心的不是他们的行为，而是别人的行为。
That someone will decide that this is the day
某个人可能会想，今天我就想针对某个黑人，那个黑人就是我的目标。
and that is the Black man that Im going to target.
那个黑人就是我的目标。
All right, its been a minute.
好吧，已经过了一分钟了。
The conversations that I have with Devontae, just the simple stuff,
我和德文泰的谈话都是一些琐碎的小事
just walking in a store.And thats why I teach him a lot about manners and being respectful.
就是像逛商店那么简单。所以我会教他很多礼节和如何尊重他人。
You say, Yes maam, you say, No maam, and that goes for everybody.
你应该说，“是的，女士”，或者“不是的，女士”，这对每个人都适用。
Its kind of like defense mechanisms to keep him as this gentle giant
这就像他的保护机制，来保护这个温柔的巨人，
so that hes not seen as somebody thats overbearing or hes a thug
这样他就不会被视为坏人或是暴徒，
or when you see him, you instantly dont want to grab your purse or dont want to lock your door.
或者当你看到他时，你的第一反应不是去抓紧的钱包或者锁门。
The way that my mother is, shes very protective.She always makes sure I keep my head on straight,
我的母亲保护意识很强。她总是让我保持头脑清醒，
makes sure I get in no trouble and I go through all types of protocol
确保我没有惹任何麻烦，并且遵守所有规章制度，
whether thats driving, me walking, me coming to the police, even my father
无论是我开车、走路还是去警察局，甚至我爸爸有时候也这样，
because I am his only son.
因为我是他唯一的儿子。
So, they always make sure I do the right thing.
所以，他们总是确保我能做正确的事。
Theres no difference than what happened in Minneapolis than what happened on plantations in Virginia
自美国建国以来，明尼阿波利斯发生的事情和弗吉尼亚州的种植园没有区别
and North Carolina and Georgia since the founding of this country.
跟乔治亚州和北卡罗来纳州发生的悲剧也没有区别。
We have to decide as people that were not going to take it anymore.
作为一个人，我们不能再忍受这种压迫了。
They have a right to be who they are,
他们有权利做他们自己的主人，
to learn how they can, to function, to drive, to walk, to run, that is their inalienable right.
他们有权利去学习发掘自己的潜力、去工作、去开车、走路或是跑步，这是他们不可剥夺的权利。
And anybody that attacks them because of that is dead wrong.
任何因为这些权利而攻击他们的人都是大错特错。
To think that you may not come out of a run or a walk alive,
他们认为你不可能或者跑出来或走出来，
but if you come out of it alive,then let that fuel your fire to make you want to make sure that somebody else doesnt die.
但如果你做到了，让这次经历成为你的火种，点燃你的激情，让其他人都能活下来。
And thats the kind of injustice that you raise them to tackle.
这就是你让他们去解决的不公正。
I was fortunate to not have experienced it,but I know that its still going on today.
我很幸运没有经历过这种事，但我知道它仍然存在。
And I know that I want to do my part any way that I can
我知道我会尽我所能，
to end it and advocate for others.
来终结这种不公，并向其他人宣传。
No justice, no peace.
没有正义就没有和平。
Seeing all of these protests on social media is kind of like overwhelming
在社交媒体上看到所有这些抗议活动，有点像是势不可挡
because all of it is happening at once.
因为他们都是同时爆发的。
With the police brutality,Im not seeing no repercussions for the same action that theyre doing
就白人警察的暴行而言，我认为他们造成的恶果是显而易见的，
as if somebody of my color would do it.
这无关肤色，任何人这么做都不对。
George Floyd was the final straw.The police department needs to change.
乔治·弗洛伊德是最后一根稻草。美国警察需要作出改变了。
I know there are petitions going around for police reforms
我知道有很多要求警察改革的请愿书
and there are other things that we dont know about that need to change.
还有一些我们不知道的事情也需要改变。
But as much as you want to do our part,
但是在要求我们站出来的同时，
the other ethnicities, other communities need to step up as well.I know there are some white people that are advocating for change,
其他种族、其他群体也应该站出来。我知道有些白人也在倡导改革，
but needs to be all of them, not some of them.
但我们需要的是所有白人都意识到需要改革，不仅仅是一些人。
The target needs to come off of the back of the Black men in this country.
这些目标必须在美国的黑人身上产生切实的效果和改变。
I dont care how many laws are passed
我不在乎会通过多少法律，
until people have a change of heart in a systematic environment
我只希望人们在这个环境中能真心实意地想要改变，
that breeds the kind of contempt that leads to racism,then I dont know how much is going to change, but it starts very, very young.
我们国家的系统和环境已经滋生了一种导致种族歧视的蔑视，我不知道需要有多大的变化，但我们现在还远没有到那个程度。
I tell him every day, Youre Black, but youre just as powerful as any other race.
我每天都告诉他，你是黑人，但你和其他种族一样强大。
Theres nothing you cant do.We have successful politicians that are Black.
没有什么是你不能做的。我们有成功的黑人政治家。
We have inventors.Your only limitation is you.
我们有黑人发明家。你唯一的障碍就是你自己。
I am really proud to be Black.Its a lot that comes with it, of course.
我为自己是黑人而感到骄傲。当然，它带来了很多其他东西。
I am proud to be a Black man.Theres no one like us.And we are only individual beings, but we are equal to them as well.
我为自己是个黑人而感到自豪。没有人跟我们是一样的。我们是独一无二的，同时也是和其他人平等的。
We have the same opportunities, the same goals, the same drive, creativity, everything.
我们有同样的机会，同样的目标，同样的动力、创造力，一切都是平等的。
We have a voice just like you do and just like everyone else does.
我们的声音就像你和其他人一样。
I believe the change in this country is going to come from this generation,
我相信这个国家的变化将来自这一代人，
the generation now thats marching,the generation thats graduating from college,
这是进步的一代，他们有着大学的文凭，
the millennials and the generation that have the resources.
他们是千禧一代，是拥有资源的一代。
They have the tenacity, they have the nerve and they dont have fear.
他们有坚韧，有勇气，毫不恐惧。
They are very open in ways that the older generations were not so much.
他们非常开放，这是老一辈人所没有的。
I think it all starts out with the people in power.A president should govern themselves as somebody who,
我认为一切都应从国家的管理者开始。总统应该以身作则，
yes, Im a regular person just like you,
是的，我跟你一样是普通人，
but I still have a bigger responsibility and thats everybody.
但是作为总统我有更大的责任，那就是心系百姓。
So, I shouldnt be spending all my time on social media
所以，我不应该把所有的时间都花在社交媒体上
when I should just be spending my time, okay, how do I fix certain issues in the world?
而是应该想想我该如何解决世界上的某些问题？
Like yes, homeless people. Yes, racism.Yes, creating peace with other countries so that we can have allies in certain situations.
比如，无家可归的人，比如种族主义。比如与其他国家建立和平关系，以便在某些情况下可以有盟友。
And also, like helping us get out of debt and all.All types of issues that even we dont know but he does.
还有帮助我们摆脱债务等等。所有我们不知道但总统知道的事情他都应该去考虑。
My boys, theyre frustrated that people dont see the content of their character,
我的孩子们因为人们看不到他们的内在而感到伤心，
that the first thing they do is judge them by the color of their skin and their own insecurities.
其他人做的第一件事就是根据肤色和不安全感来评判黑人。
But that goes all the way back to the demonization and the villainization of Black men, period.
但这可以追溯到黑人的妖魔化和恶行化时期。
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的，人人生而平等。
It all comes down to, we have to be treated equally.You know, thats what our founding fathers, so called, wanted us to believe in
归根结底，我们必须得到平等的对待。这就是我们的开国元勋，希望我们相信的真理，
and thats what all the activists want us to believe in too.
这也是所有的活动家希望我们相信的。
I do have white friends, you know.
我也有一些白人朋友。
I guess they traveled around so, nowadays, our conversations are limited, you know.
但是我想他们现在正在到处旅游，所以我们的交流其实是有限的。
They feel as though they cant joke around me as much
他们觉得好像不能和我开玩笑似的
because they feel as though they are everything going on,
因为他们觉得跟我交流的时候处处受限，
one joke, I might take it the wrong way.From the start, we had a mutual agreement, you know.
开错了一个玩笑，就看被我误解。从一开始，我们就达成了共识。
I know what type of person they are.
我清楚他们是什么样的人。
They know what type person I am.So, its like, okay, we both comfortable, you know.
他们也清楚我是什么样的人。所以我们相处的还算愉快。
We both can talk and everything.
我们可以交谈，可以一起干任何事。
I know they would never cross that line
我知道他们不会越过那条红线，
because they wasnt grown up to be that way,but they still kind of feel, you know, hesitant a little bit, which is understandable.
因为他们从小就受到了良好的教育，但他们还是有点犹豫，这是可以理解的。
They walk around with the world in their hand.At the time when I was their age,
毕竟他们走到哪里都可以看到白人。当我在他们那个年纪的时候，
I dont know if I would have been able to handle the influx of information.
我不知道我能不能处理好那么多的信息。
So, theyre already smarter than us.We cant be threatened by that.
所以他们那时就已经比我们聪明了。我们不能受到这样的威胁。
We have to empower them in order to make sure that when were old,
我们必须赋权现在的年轻人，这样当我们老了的时候，
they are able to create the kind of society that we can live in and thrive in our old age.
他们就能够创造一个让我们也可以生活和繁荣的社会。
We cant fear them and we definitely cannot control them.
我们不能害怕他们，更不能恐惧他们。
We need to empower them to move forward
我们必须赋权他们，让他们继续前进，
and change this society because they are ready.
在他们准备好的时候改变这个社会。
Yeah, older people say we are the future.So, its really going to take all of us.
是的，老年人说我们就是未来。所以，我们要承担起所有的责任。
Yes, they did their part.They set the foundation.Now we got to be on top of that.
是的，他们尽了自己的责任。他们奠定了基础。现在我们要继续在他们的基础上前行。
We got to actually take that farther than what it is,
我们肯定会走得更远，
because were the next presidents, lawyers, governors, all that.
因为我们是未来的总统、律师、州长等等要员。
So, we do have to take that role
所以，我们必须要承担我们的责任，
and to come together and actually push that along, build that up.
携手同心，推进社会，建设社会。
The world is changing.Each passing year, each passing generation, things are different.
世界正在改变。每年，每一代都会发生改变。
When it comes to us and what were living on now, we, its our turn.
现在，改变轮到了我们，是时候去改变我们的社会了。