(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Nicole Nichols. And I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Program, People in America. Today we tell about one of the great labor activists, Cesar Chavez.He organized the first successful farm workers union in American history. Cesar Chavez was born on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona in nineteen twenty-seven. In the late nineteenth century, Cesario Chavez, Cesar's grandfather, had started the Chavez family farm after escaping slavery on a Mexican farm. Cesar Chavez spent his earliest years on this farm. When he was ten years old, however, the economic conditions of the Great Depression forced his parents to give up the family farm. He then became a migrant farm worker along with the rest of his family.
The Chavez family joined thousands of other farm workers who traveled around the state of California to harvest crops for farm owners. They traveled from place to place to harvest grapes, lettuce, beets and many other crops. They worked very hard and received little pay. These migrant workers had no permanent homes. They lived in dirty, crowded camps. They had no bathrooms, electricity or running water. Like the Chavez family, most of them came from Mexico. Because his family traveled from place to place, Cesar Chavez attended more than thirty schools as a child. He learned to read and write from his grandmother. Mama Tella also taught him about the Catholic religion. Religion later became an important tool for Mister Chavez. He used religion to organize Mexican farm workers who were Catholic.
Cesar's mother, Juana, taught him much about the importance of leading a non-violent life. His mother was one of the greatest influences on his use of non-violent methods to organize farm workers. His other influences were the Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi and American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Junior. Mister Chavez said his real education began when he met the Catholic leader Father Donald McDonnell. Cesar Chavez learned about the economics of farm workers from the priest. He also learned about Gandhi's nonviolent political actions as well as those of other great nonviolent leaders throughout history. In nineteen forty-eight, Mister Chavez married Helena Fabela whom he met while working in the grape fields in central California. They settled in Sal Si Puedes. Later, while Mister Chavez worked for little or no money to organize farm workers, his wife harvested crops. In order to support their eight children, she worked under the same bad conditions that Mister Chavez was fighting against.
There were other important influences in his life. In nineteen fifty-two, Mister Chavez met Fred Ross, an organizer with a workers' rights group called the Community Service Organization. Mister Chavez called Mister Ross the best organizer he ever met. Mister Ross explained how poor people could build power. Mister Chavez agreed to work for the Community Service Organization. Mister Chavez worked for the organization for about ten years. During that time, he helped more than five hundred thousand Latino citizens to vote. He also gained old-age retirement money for fifty thousand Mexican immigrants. He served as the organization's national director. However, in nineteen sixty-two, he left the organization. He wanted to do more to help farm workers receive higher pay and better working conditions. He left his well paid job to start organizing farm workers into a union. Mister Chavez's work affected many people. For example, the father of Mexican-American musician Zack de la Rocha spent time working as an art director for Mister Chavez. Much of the political music of de la Rocha's group, Rage Against the Machine, was about workers' rights, like this song, "Bomb Track."
It took Mister Chavez and Delores Huerta, another former CSO organizer, three years of hard work to build the National Farm Workers Association. Mister Chavez traveled from town to town to bring in new members. He held small meetings at workers' houses to build support.The California-based organization held its first strike in nineteen sixty-five.The National Farm Workers Association became nationally known when it supported a strike against grape growers.The group joined a strike organized by Filipino workers of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee. Mister Chavez knew that those who acted non-violently against violent action would gain popular support. Mister Chavez asked that the strikers remain non-violent even though the farm owners and their supporters sometimes used violence. One month after the strike began, the group began to boycott grapes. They decided to direct their action against one company, the Schenley Corporation.The union followed grape trucks and demonstrated wherever the grapes were taken. Later, union members and Filipino workers began a twenty-five day march from Delano to Sacramento, California, to gain support for the boycott.
Schenley later signed a labor agreement with the National Farm Workers Association.It was the first such agreement between farm workers and growers in the United States. The union then began demonstrating against the Di Giorgio Corporation. It was one of the largest grape growers in California. Di Giorgio held a vote and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was chosen to represent the farm workers. But an investigation proved that the company and the Teamsters had cheated in the election. Another vote was held. Cesar Chavez agreed to combine his union with another and the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee was formed. The farm workers elected Mister Chavez's union to represent them.Di Giorgio soon signed a labor agreement with the union. Mister Chavez often went for long periods without food to protest the conditions under which the farm workers were forced to do their jobs. Mister Chavez went on his first hunger strike, or fast, in nineteen sixty-eight. He did not eat for twenty-five days. He was called a hero for taking this kind of personal action to support the farm workers.
The union then took action against Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, the largest producer of table grapes in the United States. It organized a boycott against the company's products.The boycott extended to all California table grapes. By nineteen seventy, the company agreed to sign contracts. A number of other growers did as well. By this time the grape strike had lasted for five years. It was the longest strike and boycott in United States labor history. Cesar Chavez had built a nationwide coalition of support among unions, church groups, students, minorities and other Americans. By nineteen seventy-three, the union had changed its name to the United Farm Workers of America. It called for another national boycott against grape growers as relations again became tense. By nineteen seventy-five, a reported seventeen million Americans were refusing to buy non-union grapes.The union's hard work helped in getting the Agricultural Labor Relations Act passed in California, under Governor Jerry Brown. It was the first law in the nation that protected the rights of farm workers. By the nineteen eighties, the UFW had helped tens of thousands of farm workers gain higher pay, medical care, retirement benefits and better working and living conditions.But relations between workers and growers in California worsened under a new state government. Boycotts were again organized against the grape industry.In nineteen eighty-eight, at the age of sixty-one, Mister Chavez began another hunger strike. That fast lasted for thirty-six days and almost killed him. The fast was to protest the poisoning of grape workers and their children by the dangerous chemicals growers used to kill insects.
Cesar ChavezIn nineteen eighty-four Cesar Chavez made this speech, predicting the future success of his efforts for Latinos. "Like the other immigrant groups, the day will come when we win the economic and political rewards which are in keeping with our numbers in society. The day will come when the politicians will do the right thing for our people out of political necessity and not out of charity or idealism." Cesar Chavez died in nineteen ninety-three at the age of sixty-six. More than forty thousand people attended his funeral. A year later, President Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. The United Farm Workers Union still fights for the rights of farm workers throughout the United States. Many schools, streets, parks, libraries and other public buildings have been named after Cesar Chavez. The great labor leader always believed in the words "Si se puede." "It can be done."
重点解析
1.migrant n. 候鸟,移居者
With the support of the government, it is no longer so hard to defend the rights of migrant workers.
有了政府支持，农民工维权不再举步维艰。
2.permanent a. 永久的,不变的,固定的
The incident left permanent traces on his mind.
那件事在他头脑里留下了永久的印象。
3.worsen v. 变得更坏,恶化
The general condition is bettering instead of worsening.
总的情况不是在恶化而是在好转。
4.along with 与…一道，和，同
Thunder comes along with lightning.
雷声随同闪电而来。
5.under conditions 在……情况下
Under given conditions, bad things can be turned into good things.
在一定的条件下坏事能够变成好事。
6.take action 采取行动,提出诉讼
They took resolute and daring action.
他们采取了果敢的行动。
参考译文
我是尼科尔·尼柯尔斯。我是史蒂夫·恩贝尔。这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天我们将讲述伟大的劳工活跃分子之一凯萨·查维斯的故事。他组织了美国历史上第一次成功的农民工人联盟。1927年，凯萨·查维斯出生于美国亚利桑那州尤马附近的一个小农场中。19世纪末期，凯萨的祖父，切萨里奥·查维斯在逃离墨西哥农场的奴役后，开了一家查维斯家族农场。凯萨·查维斯的童年都在这个农场中度过。但7岁时，大萧条时期的经济状态迫使他的父母放弃了家族农场。他和家人一起成为了流动农场工人。查维斯一家和其他加利福尼亚州的农场工人一同为农场主收割庄稼。他们长途跋涉来此采葡萄、收甜菜和许多其他农作物。他们辛劳工作却只得到很少的报酬。这些流动工人没有固定居所。他们居住在肮脏拥挤的营地里。那里没有浴室、没有电也没有自来水。和查维斯一家一样，多数人都来自墨西哥。因为他们一家去过一个又一个地方，童年的凯萨·查维斯去过三十多所学校。
他从自己的祖母那里学会了读写。泰拉也教他天主教信仰。信仰之后成了查维斯的重要工具。他利用宗教将信仰天主教的墨西哥农民组织起来。凯萨的母亲胡安娜教会他非暴力人生的重要性。他的母亲对他有着重要影响，他利用非暴力方法组织起了农民工人。其他对他有影响的是印度积极分子莫罕达斯·甘地以及美国民权领袖马丁·路德·金。查维斯先生说他真正的教育开始于他和天主教领袖唐纳德·麦克唐奈神父相遇之时。凯萨·查维斯从神父那里了解到了农场工人经济。他还了解到了甘地的非暴力政治行动以及历史上的那些伟大非暴力领袖的行动。1948年，查维斯先生和海伦娜·法贝拉结婚了，他们是在加利福尼亚中部的一片葡萄地里遇到的。他们在 Sal Si Puedes定居。之后，查维斯先生负责组织农场工人，这份工作收入很少甚至没有工资，而他的妻子收割庄稼。为了养活他们的8个孩子，她在恶劣的环境下工作，而查维斯先生也在与这种恶劣环境抗争。他一生中还有其他重要影响。1952年，查维斯先生和弗雷德·罗斯相遇，他是另一个工人权利组织—社区服务组织的组织者。查维斯先生称罗斯先生是他遇到过的最好的组织者。罗斯先生解释了穷人如何建权。查维斯先生同意为社区服务组织工作。查维斯先生在这个组织中工作了约十年。在此期间，他帮助五十多万拉丁美洲人获得投票权。他还为五万名墨西哥移民争取退休金。他是该组织的全国主管。但是1962年，他离开了该组织。
他想做更多以帮助农场工人获得更高的工资和更好的工作条件。他离开了这个高薪工作，开始将农场工人组成联盟。查维斯先生的工作影响到了很多人。例如，墨西哥音乐家扎克·德·拉·罗查的父亲是查维斯先生的艺术指导。德·拉·罗查团队Rage Against the Machine的很多政治音乐就是关于工人权利的，比如《Bomb Track》。查维斯先生和另一名前任社区服务组织组织者花了三年时间的努力建成了全国农场工人协会。查维斯先生前往每个镇招收新成员。他在工人家中组织小型会议寻求他们的支持。以加利福尼亚为基础的组织在1965年进行了第一次罢工。全国农场工人协会支持针对葡萄场主的罢工使其全国知名。该组织加入了菲律宾工人组织的农业工人组织委员会的罢工中。查维斯先生知道那些进行非暴力反抗的活动会受到广受支持。查维斯先生要求罢工者继续非暴力罢工，即使农场主和他们的支持者使用暴力。罢工一个月后，该组织开始联合抵制葡萄。他们决定直诉一家公司—Schenley公司。
该联盟跟随着葡萄运输卡车，在收获葡萄的地方示威。之后，该联盟成员和菲律宾工人开始了为期25天的游行，从德拉诺到萨克拉门托，只为获得抵制支持。之后，Schenley公司和全国农场工人协会签署协议。这是美国农场工人和种植者之间首次签署协议。然后该联盟开始示威反对 Di Giorgio 公司。这是加利福尼亚最大的葡萄种植公司之一。Di Giorgio 公司举行投票，国际卡车司机兄弟会被选为农场工人代表。但是调查证明这家公司和兄弟会在选举中作弊。又举行了一次投票。凯萨·查维斯同意将他的联盟和另一家联盟整合，联合农场工人组织委员会成立了。农产工人选择查维斯代表他们。Di Giorgio 公司很快和联盟签署了劳资协议。查维斯经常为了反抗农场工人恶劣的工作环境而长期绝食。查维斯第一次绝食罢工是在1968年，他25天未进食。由于这种支持农民工人的个人行动，他被称为英雄。之后，联盟采取行动反对Giumarra Vineyards公司，美国最大的食用葡萄生产商。
联盟组织了一场抵制该公司产品的活动。抵制活动蔓延至整个加利福尼亚的食用葡萄。到1970年，该公司同于签署合同。其他葡萄种植商也签署了合同。直到这时，葡萄罢工已经持续了五年。这是美国工人历史上最长的一次罢工和抵制活动。凯萨·查维斯在联盟、教会、学生、少数群体以及其他美国人之间建立起了全国范围内的联合支持。 到1973年，该联盟更名为美国农业工人联合会。
随着两边关系的紧张，其发起了另一场全国抵制葡萄种植主的运动。到1975年，据称一千七百万美国人拒绝购买非联盟的葡萄。联盟的努力帮助农业劳动关系法在加州通过。这是该国首个保护农场工人权利的法律。到1980年代，美国农业工人联合会帮助了数千万农场工人获得高报酬、医疗保障、退休福利以及更好的工作和生存环境。但是加州工人和种植主之间的关系在新州政府的管制下日益恶化。反对葡萄业的抵制活动再次组织起来。1988年，61岁的查维斯开始了另一次绝食罢工。这次持续了36天，几乎要了他的命。绝食是为了保护工人和孩子们不受毒药侵害，这些危险的化学剂被用于杀虫。1984年，查维斯做了一次演讲，预言了他为拉丁美洲人所作努力的成功。“和其他移民一样，这一天将会到来，我们会赢的经济和政治上的回报。这一天将会到来，政治家将出于政治需要而非仁慈或理想主义为我们的人民做正确的事。”1993年，查维斯去世，享年66岁。四万多人来参加了他的葬礼。一年后，克林顿总统授予他总统自由勋章—美国最高市民荣誉。农场工人联合会仍在为美国农场工人权利而奋斗。很多学校、街道、公园、图书馆以及其他公共建筑都以凯萨·查维斯的名字命名。这位伟大的劳工领袖始终相信一句话—“这是可以做到的。”
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