喀麦隆律师和教师罢工争取英语更大地位

    Protests over the English language in Cameroon have grown violent.
    喀麦隆针对英语语言的抗议活动愈演愈烈。

    A strike, called to increase the use of English, has spread to schools and universities in English-speaking areas.
    一场旨在提升英语使用的罢工席卷了说英语地区的学校和大学。

    Lawyers and teachers, supported by young people, refused to call off the strike as protesters clashed with members of the military.
    在年轻人的支持下,律师和教师拒绝因为抗议者同军人发生冲突而停止罢工。

    The governor of Cameroon's North-West Region says at least one person has been killed in the clashes. "Investigations are ongoing to establish the responsibilities," said governor Adolphe Lele L'Afrique Deben Tchoffo.
    喀麦隆西北地区总督阿多尔夫·勒勒·拉夫里克·德本·特楚弗(Adolphe Lele L'Afrique Deben Tchoffo)表示,至少有一人在冲突中丧生。他说,“我们正在进行调查以确定责任。”

    But media reports suggest that as many as four people were killed.
    但是媒体报道称有多达四人被杀。

    The protesters are demanding greater rights for English speakers in a country that has both English and French as official languages.
    抗议者要求赋予喀麦隆说英语人士更多权利,这个国家的官方语言是英语和法语这两种语言。

    The roots of the strike
    罢工根源

    The current strike has created more debate – and caused more concern – among government officials and local rulers than any other issue in recent years.
    与近年来任何其它问题相比,本次罢工在政府官员和地方统治者之中产生了更大争议,并引起了更多关注。

    The roots of this strike go deep.
    这场罢工的根源很深远。

    English speakers make up about 20 percent of Cameroon's population. The constitution says that English and French – languages that come from the colonial period – should be equally important. However, many official documents are written only in French. Some government ministers give speeches in French, even in English-speaking areas.
    英语人士占到了喀麦隆人口的20%左右。宪法规定,源自殖民时期的英语和法语这两种语言应该同等重要。但是很多官方文件只有法语版本。一些政府部长用法语发表讲话,即使是在说英语地区。

    No English speaker has held an important position, such as minister of defense, finance, or territorial administration, in Cameroon's nearly 60-year history as an independent country.
    在喀麦隆作为一个独立国家的近60年历史中,没有任何说英语人士担任过重要职务,例如国防、财政或国土管理部门的部长。

    Lawyers and the Government
    律师和政府

    Lawyers have been at the front of the strike. Harmony Bogda, spokesperson for the striking lawyers, says that after discussions lasting 72 hours, lawyers left with the idea that the government does not want to listen to them. As such, Bogda says, the strike will continue.
    律师一直冲在罢工的前面。罢工律师发言人博格达(Harmony Bogda)表示,经过72小时的交涉,律师们认为政府不愿意倾听他们的想法,他们带着这样的观点离开了。博格达说,因此罢工将会继续下去。

    Ben Muna is a lawyer and a member of the Cameroon Bar Council Association. He says his colleagues are angry because security forces increased tensions and beat them for demonstrating peacefully.
    本·穆纳(Ben Muna)是一名律师,也是喀麦隆律师协会的成员。他说,他的同行们非常生气,因为安全部队加剧了紧张局势,并打压他们的和平示威。

    Communication minister and government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma says the government is unable to approve some of the requests. He says the lawyers are responsible for the recent violence in English-speaking areas.
    喀麦隆通信部长及政府发言人伊萨·齐罗玛(Issa Tchiroma)表示,政府无法批准其中一些要求。他说,律师们要对英语地区最近的暴力负责。

    "Those who are responsible for such abuses must know that nowhere in the world, disorder has ever led to anything constructive. We therefore call on all our compatriots to show proof of reserve, self-control, high sense of responsibility and citizenship in a spirit of dialogue."
    齐罗玛说,“那些该对这种恶行负责的人必须知道,世界上没有任何地方的混乱曾经产生过任何有建设性的影响。因此我们呼吁所有同胞本着对话的精神,展示出有所准备、自我克制、高度的责任感和公民意识。”

    Schools have remained closed since the clashes started last Monday.
    自上周一发生冲突以来,各个学校一直保持关闭。

    I'm John Russell.
    我是约翰·罗素。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利,未经授权请勿转载,违者必究!)