Protesting US police brutality

Traffic was blocked, fire was set and protesters clashed with riot police, who fired tear gas and plastic bullets in an effort to restore order.
交通受阻、当街纵火、抗议者与防暴警察发生冲突。为了维持秩序，警方使用了催泪弹以及橡皮子弹。

According to The New York Times, by June 2, protests had erupted in at least 140 cities across the United States after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died while under police custody on May 25.
据《纽约时报》报道，5月25日，46岁非裔男子乔治·弗洛伊德在警方执法拘押期间身亡，截至6月2日，由此引发的抗议活动蔓延至全美至少140个城市。

CNN reported that a widely-circulated video shows “police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd was pinned to the ground following his arrest”.
美国有线电视新闻网报道称，一段广为流传的视频显示“白人警察德雷克·肖万拘捕弗洛伊德时，将其按在地上，并用膝盖持续压迫弗洛伊德颈部将近9分钟”。

Despite mobilization of the National Guard, violence and destruction of property have broken out across major cities. According to the Guardian, this has been the most widespread civil unrest in the US since the assassination of social activist Martin Luther King Jr in 1968.
尽管出动了国民警卫队，但各大城市仍出现了暴力以及财产破坏事件。据《卫报》报道，这是自1968年社会活动家马丁·路德·金遭遇暗杀以来，美国国内范围最广的一次社会动荡。

Despite the fact that the US is called a “melting pot”, inequality exists among different races in the country, reported Global Times. Although racial equality is guaranteed in law, from the social level and from people’s mindsets, potential racial conflicts are brewing.
据《环球时报》报道，尽管美国被称为“大熔炉”，但国内种族间的不平等现象仍然存在。虽然种族平等受法律保护，但在社会阶层以及民众观念上，潜在的种族冲突正在酝酿之中。

Jamar Nelson, a community activist in Minneapolis, described the relationship between the police and the city’s black community as fractured, The New York Times reported. “The truth is, we do not have a good history,” he said, describing the police department as “racist, bigoted and uncaring about the black community”.
据《纽约时报》报道，明尼阿波利斯社区活动家杰莫尔·尼尔森认为警察与该市非裔群体之间的关系是断裂的。“事实是，我们的历史记录并不好，”他如此说道，并称警方“种族主义、带有偏见、对非裔群体漠不关心”。

According to Tom Fowdy of CGTN, the US is a deeply unequal and divided country with shocking levels of wealth inequality and structural racism. The violent unrest stemming from Floyd’s killing is a marked demonstration of these issues, illustrating the frustration and despair felt by many in the country.
中国国际电视台的汤姆·福迪认为，美国是个相当不平等又分裂的国家，贫富差距以及结构性种族歧视的程度令人震惊。由弗洛伊德之死引发的暴力动荡显著地体现了这些问题，表明美国国内许多人都感到沮丧与绝望。

In response to protests, at least 40 cities in more than 20 US states and Washington DC had imposed curfews as of June 2. On June 1, President Donald Trump threatened use of military force to “stop the violence”, according to the Guardian.
截至6月2日，为应对抗议活动，美国至少有20个州超40个城市实施宵禁。据《卫报》报道，6月1日，美国总统特朗普威胁动用军队来“阻止暴力”。

According to CBS, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Trump, who has often urged police to be tough, was not helping matters. “We are beyond a tipping point in this country, and his rhetoric only enflames that,” she said.
据哥伦比亚广播公司报道，亚特兰大市长凯莎·兰斯·博顿斯称特朗普不时敦促警方强硬执法的言论对事态毫无帮助。“我们正处于这个国家千钧一发的时刻，他的说辞只会火上浇油，”她说道。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二796期