(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
Sixty years ago this month, the highest court in the United States changed American education. On May 17, 1954, all nine judges of the Supreme Court ruled against racial separation in public schools. The court says such segregation in schools violates the United States constitution.
Many school systems had separate schools for white students and black students at the time of the ruling. The system was the result of a court ruling from 1896， that decision had permitted so called "separate but equal" schools. Some schools had only white children, others had only black children.
About sixty years later, the case Brown vs the Board of Education came before the Supreme Court. It involved five separate legal actions, but it centered on an African-American child from the state of Kansas.
Linda Brown lived just short distance from a school, but she was forced to travel across town to a black school because the school near her permitted only white students.
Aderson Francois teaches law at Howard University in Washington D.C. He says the case ended official racial separation in the United States.
"Brown essentially ended American apartheid... if by that we mean the process by which the government officially classifies people by race," said Francois.
But Mr. Francois criticized the ruling because it did not set a time limit by which segregation had to end. As a result, some segregated schools in the south did not obey the Supreme Court ruling until the 1960s. Even today, many schools are still effectively segregated.
In 2012, the Civil Rights Project at the University of California studied racial populations in schools. The study showed that many schools are less racially mixed than forty years ago. The study says social and economic issues are partly to blame. It also says some court cases have weakened enforcement of desegregation.
That does not surprise education activist Jeanette Taylor. She came to Washington recently with other activists. They urged officials to act to stop putting more money into mainly white schools than those with many minority students.
"So we're here today to tell them to stop pushing bad policies," said Taylor.
Jitu Brown is with the Journey for Justice Alliance. He says separation based on race still exists. And he criticizes a recent Supreme Court decision, it ruled that the state of Michigan can bar public colleges and universities from considering a person's race when they decide whom to admit. Education officials say the number of African-American students has decreased at schools in states with similar bans.
And from VOA Learning English, that's the Education Report. I'm Jerilyn Watson.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.segregation n. 隔离，分离；种族隔离
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional.
最高法院一致裁定学校实施的种族隔离措施违反宪法。
2.apartheid n. 种族隔离
He praised her role in the struggle against apartheid.
他赞扬了她在反对种族隔离制的斗争中所起的作用。
3.desegregation n. 废止种族歧视
Lincoln did much work on desegregation in USA.
林肯在消除种族歧视上做了很多工作。
内容解析
1.The study says social and economic issues are partly to blame.
be to blame 该受责备，应承担责任
This information confirms me in the belief that he is to blame.
这一消息使我坚信他该受到责备。
It's the coalition forces who are to blame for the continuation of the war.
联合部队应当对战争的延续负责。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
60年的这个月，美国最高法院改变了美国教育。1954年5月17日，最高法院的9名法官集体否决了公立学校中的种族隔离。法院称学校的隔离违反了美国宪法。
当时很多学校系统都有分别给白人学生和黑人学生提供的学校，这个系统是1896年法院判决的结果，当时的判决允许学校遵守所谓“隔离但平等”的原则。有的学校只有白人学生，有的只有黑人学生。
60多年后，布朗状告美国教育委员会进入了最高法院，涉及5个独立的法律行为，但关注点是堪萨斯州的非裔美国儿童。
琳达·布朗当时住在一所学校不远处，但由于这所学校只招收白人学生，她就被迫穿过市区去一所黑人学校上学。
艾德尔森·弗朗索瓦在华盛顿特区的哈佛大学教法律，他说该案件终结了美国官方的种族隔离。
“布朗一案基本终结了美国的隔离，如果我们说的是政府官方通过种族来划分人口的话。”
但弗朗索瓦批评了这一判决，因为该判决并没有对何时终结隔离设定时限。结果，南方有的隔离学校到20世纪60年代才遵守最高法院的判决。甚至在今年，很多学校事实上仍然隔离。
2012年，加州大学的民权项目研究了学校的种族人口。研究表明很多学校的种族融合程度不如40年前，研究称这部分要归咎于社会和经济问题，称有的法庭案件还削弱了废除种族隔离的执法。
活动家珍妮特·泰勒对此并不吃惊，她最近和其他活动家一起到华盛顿。他们敦促官方行动起来，不要再把资金提供给主要是白人而不是黑人学生的学校。
“所以我们今年是来告诉他们要停止不好的政策。”
Jitu Brown就职于正义联盟之旅组织，他说基于种族的隔离仍然存在。他批评了最高法院最近的一个判决，该判决称密歇根州可以禁止公立学院和大学在录取时考虑学生的种族。教育官员称在那些有类似禁令的州里，非裔美国学生的数量在下降。
这就是美国之音慢速英语教育报道，我是杰瑞琳·沃森。
