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March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a tragedy that happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid laws. The massacre shocked the world. For many years this day was known as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, calling on all countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, once and for all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight the evil of racism and our duty to combat it.
每年的3月21日為國際消除種族歧視日。1960年的這一天，在南非的沙佩維爾發(fā)生了慘劇，而該節(jié)日就是為了紀(jì)念這一事件而設(shè)立的。警方開槍殺害了69名參加反對種族隔離的和平示威者。這起屠殺事件震驚了世界。許多年來，這一天也被看成是南非的“沙佩維爾”日。1966年，聯(lián)合國大會(huì)設(shè)立了該節(jié)日，呼吁各個(gè)國家為消除種族歧視而加倍努力，永遠(yuǎn)消除種族歧視。每年的3月21日，在日內(nèi)瓦的聯(lián)合國難民事務(wù)高級專員公署以及總部紐約都會(huì)舉辦許多打擊種族歧視的活動(dòng)。
This day perhaps played a role in the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial society where the government is promoting equality at all levels. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it opened up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke of how racism affects human rights and becomes an obstacle to a nation’s development: "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress." Racism is still a damaging force in today’s world. Try and make a difference on March 21.
該節(jié)日的設(shè)立或許為結(jié)束南非的種族隔離做出了貢獻(xiàn)。如今的南非是一個(gè)多種族國家，南非政府也一直在宣傳社會(huì)各階層的民族平等。種族隔離和種族歧視的終結(jié)也讓南非迎來了更加繁榮的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文就種族歧視對人權(quán)發(fā)展的影響，以及國家的進(jìn)步阻礙一事進(jìn)行了評論：“種族歧視會(huì)傷害受害者，不僅如此，它還會(huì)影響社會(huì)包容性的發(fā)展。種族歧視阻礙個(gè)人發(fā)展，阻礙國家進(jìn)步。”如今，種族歧視仍然會(huì)讓全球遭受重創(chuàng)。3月21日，讓我們在這一天做出改變吧。
譯文屬可可英語原創(chuàng)，未經(jīng)允許，不得轉(zhuǎn)載。
