This Day in History April 29…歷史上的今天 4月29日…

On this day in 1992, people in Los Angeles, California started rioting. They were angry about the verdict in the Rodney King trial. In the case, four white police officers badly beat up an African-American man. The jury acquitted the police officers of breaking the law. However, thousands of people felt the police officers did something very wrong. They took to the streets and began robbing and looting before the military was called in to help control the situation. Things quieted down after six days, but even now, people are still upset about the court case.

在1992年的今天，加州洛杉磯的人民開始暴動。他們對於羅德尼．金恩事件的審判裁決結果相當憤怒。在這個 案件裡，4個白人警察痛打一名非洲裔美國男子。陪審團宣告這些警察並無犯法，將其無罪釋放。然而，數以千計民眾認為這些警察的行為非常不當。他們走上街 頭，開始豪搶掠奪，軍方還因此被召來幫忙控制場面。事件在6天後平息，但時至今日，人們對於這個法庭案件仍深感不滿。

知識大補帖

此案件源自羅德尼．金恩在公路上超速（exceed the speed limit）拒捕。據警方表示，當時巡邏警力與羅德尼．金恩在公路上發生追逐，並且連闖多個紅綠燈。而羅德尼．金恩表示，由於他剛假釋出獄（on parole），擔心因遭逮捕而被取消假釋資格，故試圖逃逸，但被警員逮捕後卻遭毆打，警員甚至使用電擊槍（electric stun gun）電擊他，整起事件被附近的居民拍攝下來，而該影帶被公布後，隨即引起美國各界關注，強烈指摘警察濫用權力。案件裁定後，民眾走上街頭抗議，引發長 達數日的暴動，造成53人死亡，財產損失約8至10億美元。

單字片語

◎riot
vi. & n. 暴動
例：It took 200 police officers to stop the riot.（此次暴動動用了200名警力才鎮壓下來。）
◎verdict
n.（陪審團的）裁 決
例：After hours of discussion, the jury finally reached a unanimous verdict in the murder case.（歷經數小時的討論後，陪審團對該謀殺案終於達成一致的裁決。）
◎beat up……╱beat……up
痛打……
例：Roger beat Alex up for spreading rumors about him.（羅傑因亞歷克斯散播有關他的謠言而把他狠狠揍了一頓。）
◎take to the streets
走上街頭（抗議或遊行等）
例：The union members took to the streets when their demands weren't met.（那些工會會員因需求未獲得滿足而走上街頭。）
◎quiet down
平息，安靜下來
例：The class quieted down after the teacher walked in the classroom.（老師走進教室後，全班安靜了下來。）