6月1日
奥巴马发布声明
奥巴马发布声明
他在声明中谈及弗洛伊德之死,呼吁对此事的调查。
他表示,新冠疫情和经济危机对美国造成了颠覆性的改变,希望生活能够恢复正常。
他提出,若真正想要改变,就要通过抗议和选举两种方式,并呼吁民众在今年大选中把选票投给能够带来改变的候选人。
小编为大家翻译了这份声明,下面就跟我一起看看吧!
当全国数以百万计的民众走上街头游行,高声回应着乔治·弗洛伊德事件和那些当今社会里持续存在的司法不公正问题时。我收到了很多人的询问,大家都想知道如何才能保持住这股万众一心的势头,并借此机会实现真正的变革。
As millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change.
我认为,最终,这一切都需要这新一代的积极游行者们,需要他们去塑造、去雕刻,去让最适合这个时代的改革战略真正的成型。但同时我也相信,那些从过往先驱者们的贡献中汲取出的宝贵经验,是值得铭记的。
Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.
首先,这场全国性的游行运动是民众们从长达数十年的失望累积而成的。对于警察执法系统以及范刑事司法公正系统的改革是失败的,而民众对此,是失望的。
在这场游行运动中,绝大多数参与者是和平地、勇敢地、负责任地、以及有启发性的在发声。而这部分参与游行的人们,是值得我们的尊重与支持而不是谴责的。——对于这一点,来自卡姆登和弗林特市的执法警察们做出了特别好的诠释。
First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood.
另一方面,有一部分极少数的人在用不同的形式实施暴力。这样的行动无论是出于真正的愤怒还是仅仅出于机会主义,都无疑将无辜的人置于了危险之中。更让本来就欠发达和发展的一些地区遭到了更多不必要的破坏。
On the other hand, the small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms, whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism, are putting innocent people at risk, compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause.
在今天,我看到一位年迈的黑人女士在接受采访时因为在她家附近唯一的杂货店被砸毁得面目全非而泪流满面。从历来的状况来看,那间未能幸免的商店可能需要几年时间才能慢慢恢复。
所以,让我们不再为暴力辩解,不再合理化暴力,更不要使用暴力。如果我们想让美国的刑事司法系统、乃至整个美国社会,在一个更高的道德规范下运作,那我们自己本身就必须成为这一规范的楷模。
I saw an elderly black woman being interviewed today in tears because the only grocery store in her neighborhood had been trashed. If history is any guide, that store may take years to come back. So, let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.
其次,我也听到一些声音说,我们的刑事司法公正系统中反复出现的种族偏见问题恰恰证明了:只有抗议游行和直接地系列行动才能带来最终的变革,而参与投票和选举则是浪费时间。我完全不能同意这个观点。
Second, I’ve heard some suggest that the recurrent problem of racial bias in our criminal justice system proves that only protests and direct action can bring about change, and that voting and participation in electoral politics is a waste of time. I couldn’t disagree more.
抗议游行的目的是提高公众意识,关注不公正现象,让当权者不自在以解决问题;事实上,纵观美国历史,政治体系对于边缘化社区和人群的关注,往往只是为了应对游行和公民的非暴力抗议才有的举动。
但最终,人们必须将这愿景转化为可实践的、具体的法律和制度——然而,在一个民主国家,这样的愿景需要靠我们选举出的、能积极响应我们需求的政府官员去实现。
The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable; in fact, throughout American history, it’s often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities. But eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices — and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands.
此外,同样重要的是,我们需要了解到底哪一级政府才能对我们的刑事司法公正系统和警察执法系统造成最大的影响。当看待政治时,大多数的我们都只把关注点放在总统和联邦政府层面。
Moreover, it’s important for us to understand which levels of government have the biggest impact on our criminal justice system and police practices. When we think about politics, a lot of us focus only on the presidency and the federal government.
也的确,我们应该努力确保我们的总统、国会、美国司法部、联邦司法机关,都能意识到当下社会里存在的种族歧视主义,并且都为改变此状况做出努力。但那些当选的、能为这些改革做出改变的关键人员,其实是当地或者州一级别的政府官员们。
And yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a U.S. Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it. But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels.
是市长和县长直接任命了大多数的警察局长,并直接参与了警察工会的劳资协议谈判。是地区检察官和州检察官在决定是否需要深入调查甚至最终起诉那些有过失行为的警察。
而坐在这些职位上的政府官员,都是通过选举产生的。在一些地方,可以参与监督警察行为规范的警察监管委员会,也是通过选举产生的。
It’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. In some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well.
不幸的是,这样的地方选举中,选民投票率通常低得可怜,尤其是年轻人的投票率,极低。这些部门在解决社会正义问题中往往带来直接地影响,但这样低选票的选举结果其实毫无意义,更不用说,决定谁能做到这些位置上的实际选票往往只有几千,甚至只有几百。
Unfortunately, voter turnout in these local races is usually pitifully low, especially among young people — which makes no sense given the direct impact these offices have on social justice issues, not to mention the fact that who wins and who loses those seats is often determined by just a few thousand, or even a few hundred, votes.
所以,如果我们想带来真正的变革,我们不需要在抗议游行或是政治选举之间做选择,因为这两个方面都需要我们的行动,这是底线。我们必须动员起来,提高对于这一事件的认识,并且也必须组织起来、一起投票,确保我们选出那些会为改革而做出实际行动的人。
So, the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.
最后,当我们对刑事司法公正和警局改革提出的要求越具体时,也就越能确保那些当选的政府官员不只是做到口头支持、只是在抗议游行出现时做做样子、或是一旦游行结束便不在继续有所作为。—而是实质的行动起来。
Finally, the more specific we can make demands for criminal justice and police reform, the harder it will be for elected officials to just offer lip service to the cause and then fall back into business as usual once protests have gone away.
改革的具体内容会因为地区的不同而有所差异。一座大城市可能需要一整套的改革;一个偏远些的小地区则可能需要另一套不同的改革。一些机构将需要大规模的修整;而其他机构也可能需要做出一些小的改进。
每个执法机构都应该制定明确的政策,包括设立一个独立机构,对被指控的不当行为进行调查。为每个社区量身定制的改革方案需要当地的积极分子和组织对自己的社区做深入调研,并向社区内的公民伙伴们解释和讲明哪些策略能最有效地帮助解决问题。
The content of that reform agenda will be different for various communities. A big city may need one set of reforms; a rural community may need another. Some agencies will require wholesale rehabilitation; others should make minor improvements. Every law enforcement agency should have clear policies, including an independent body that conducts investigations of alleged misconduct. Tailoring reforms for each community will require local activists and organizations to do their research and educate fellow citizens in their community on what strategies work best.
我给大家提供一个可以开始行动的起点。这里有一份报告和工具包,是由公民权利和人权问题领导会根据我在白宫时组建的21世纪警务工作队的工作编写的。
如果你有兴趣采取具体的行动,我们也在奥巴马基金会创建了一个专门的网页。这个网页将为大家提供直接地实用资源,以及一些在当地社区或是在全国,已经为争取这一权益而奋斗多年的组织机构的信息。
But as a starting point, here’s a report and toolkit developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and based on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing that I formed when I was in the White House. And if you’re interested in taking concrete action, we’ve also created a dedicated site at the Obama Foundation to aggregate and direct you to useful resources and organizations who’ve been fighting the good fight at the local and national levels for years.
我意识到,过去的几个月是一段艰难和令人沮丧的日子——当这场全球性的流行病所带来的恐惧、悲伤、不确定性和苦难混杂在一起之后,反而更加冷酷且更加真实地提醒着我们:偏见和不平等仍然影响着当今美国生活的方方面面。但当我看到最近几周那些来自各个种族、各个地区的年轻人们在不断提高参与的积极性时,我感到一切又充满了希望。
I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful.
如果今后,我们能够将我们合理的愤怒转化为和平地、持续地和有效地行动,那么这一刻将成为我们国家在实现最高理想的漫长征程中,一个真正的转折点。
If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.
让我们开始行动吧。
Let’s get to work.
最后,小编就想问—
你们想象到这篇翻译是一位国际友人写的吗?
请把掌声送给我们的米国友人兼好同事
Andrew
!!
作为非母语者,这篇翻译真的很难得了~
翻译 | Andrew
排版 | 王音cei
审核 | Jackie
图片源自网络,版权属于作者,侵权可删
Images are all labeled for noncommercial reuse
Copyrights are owned by authors
排版 | 王音cei
审核 | Jackie
图片源自网络,版权属于作者,侵权可删
Images are all labeled for noncommercial reuse
Copyrights are owned by authors