[學測指考必備時事焦點] 美國抗議四起：了解George Floyd事件始末

1. The US has been convulsed by nationwide protests over the death of an African-American man in police custody. George Floyd, 46, died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Footage of the arrest on 25 May shows a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck while he was pinned to the floor.

( 美國因一起有關一名非裔美國人被白人警察拘捕而死亡的全國性抗議行動而震動。46歲的George Floyd在明尼蘇達州明尼阿波利斯的一家商店外被警察逮捕後死亡。 5月25日被捕的畫面顯示，在Floyd先生被壓在地板上時，一名白人警察Derek Chauvin跪在在他的脖子上。)

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convulse (v.) 使⋯⋯震動；震撼

• 同義字：shake, shudder

custody (nu.) 監禁，拘留

• 同義字：detention, confinement
• 補充用法：in custody 扣押候審

footage (nu.) （尤指表現一個事件的）一段影片，片段

2. It began with a report of a fake $20 bill. A report was made on the evening of 25 May, when Mr Floyd bought a pack of cigarettes from Cup Foods, a grocery store. Believing the $20 bill he used to be counterfeit, a store employee reported it to police.

(整件事情始於一份偽造的20美元鈔票的報告。 5月25日晚上，Floyd從雜貨店Cup Foods購買了一包香煙。當時有報導， 這家商店的員工認為他使用了偽造的20美元鈔票，並向警察舉報了該鈔票。)

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counterfeit (adj.) 僞造的；仿造的；假冒的

• 同義字：fake, forgery
• 補充用法：counterfeit jewellery/passports/coins 假珠寶／護照／錢幣

employee (nc.) 受僱者，僱員，員工

• 同義字：worker, staff
• 相關字彙：employ (v.) 僱用；employer (n.) 僱用者，僱主

3. Shortly after the call, at around 20:08, two police officers arrived.  After approaching the car, one of the officers, Thomas Lane, pulled out his gun and ordered Mr Floyd to show his hands. In an account of the incident, prosecutors do not explain why Mr Lane thought it necessary to draw his gun.

(接到電話後不久，大約20:08，兩名警官到達。 接近汽車後，其中一名警官Thomas Lane拔出槍支，命令Floyd舉手。 在事件原因中，檢察官沒有解釋為什麼Lane認為有必要開槍。)

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account (nc.) 報導；報告；記述；描述

• 同義字：description , explanation, report
• 補充用法：an account of the incident 事故原因

prosecutor (nc.) 檢察官；公訴人

4. It was when officers tried to put Mr Floyd in their squad car that a struggle ensued. Mr Chauvin pulled Mr Floyd out of the passenger side, causing him to fall to the ground, the report said. He lay there, face down, still in handcuffs.

(警員們試圖將Floyd放到他們的警車上時，便發生了掙扎。 報導說，Chauvin警官將Floyd帶離乘客一側，使他跌倒在地。 他躺在那裡，面朝下，仍然戴著手銬。)

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squad car (nc.) 警車

ensue (v.) （尤指作爲結果而）接著發生，繼而發生，因而産生

• 同義字：result , follow

handcuffs (n.) 手銬

• 補充用法：a pair of handcuffs 一副手銬

5. Mr Floyd was restrained by officers, while Mr Chauvin placed his left knee between his head and neck. About six minutes into that period, Mr Floyd became non-responsive. He was pronounced dead around an hour later.

(Floyd受到警員的束縛，而Chauvin警官則將左膝放在Floyd的頭部和頸部之間。 在此期間大約六分鐘後，Floyd變得毫無反應。 一個小時後，他被宣吿死亡。)

相關單字：

restrain (v.) 管制；束縛；限制

• 同義字：bind, tie up, chain up

pronounce (v.) 宣稱；宣佈；斷言

• 同義字：proclaim, declare , announce
• 補充用法：人＋beV pronounced death 某人被宣告死亡