《中英對照讀新聞》School Makes Kids Use Buckets for Toilets 學校竟要學童用水桶充當馬桶

◎ 俞智敏

A principal trying to prevent walkouts during immigration rallies inadvertently introduced a lockdown so strict that children weren、t allowed to go to the bathroom, and instead had to use buckets in the classroom, an official said.

一位校長為防止學生在爭取移民權益的示威活動期間離校參加遊行，竟然不小心下令對學生實施嚴格禁閉，導致學童甚至不准去上洗手間，最後只能在教室內用水桶應急，一名官員表示。

Worthington Elementary School Principal Angie Marquez imposed the lockdown March 27 as nearly 40,000 students across Southern California left classes to attend immigrants、 rights demonstrations.

沃辛頓小學校長馬奎茲是在3月27日下達禁閉令，當時全南加州有將近4萬名學生離開教室，去參加為移民爭取權益的示威遊行。

Marquez apparently misread the district handbook and ordered a lockdown designed for nuclear attacks.

馬奎茲顯然誤讀了學區手冊，下達了原本設計用於核子攻擊狀態下的禁閉令。

Tim Brown, the district、s director of operations, confirmed some students used buckets but said the principal、s order to impose the most severe type of lockdown was an "honest mistake."

據該學區營運總監布朗證實，當時的確有部份學生使用水桶，但他說，校長下令實施最嚴格的禁閉是出於「無心之過」。

"When there、s a nuclear attack, that、s when buckets are used," Brown said. The principal "followed procedure. She made a decision to follow the handbook. She just misread it."

「假如發生核子攻擊事件，才是使用水桶的時候，」布朗表示。該名校長「遵循了程序。她決定遵守手冊上的規定，只是她的解讀錯誤。」

Appalled parents have complained to the school board. Brown said the school district planned to update its emergency preparedness instructions to give more explicit directions.

大為震驚的家長們已經一狀告到學校董事會。布朗表示，學區當局也打算更新其緊急應變指南，給予更明確的指示。

"There was no violence at the protests, so this was based on what?" activist Diane Sambrano asked. "It was unsanitary, unnecessary and absolutely unacceptable."

運動人士桑布拉諾問道，「抗議活動並未發生暴力事件，所以這項決定到底是根據什麼？」「這種作法既不衛生，也不必要，更令人完全無法接受。」

新聞辭典

walkout：名詞，指聯合罷工、離開（ 會議、組織） 以示抗議，如︰Senior union workers staged a walkout this afternoon at the annual conference over the proposed changes in funding.（工會資深成員今天下午在年度會議中，為了有關修改補助的提案而退席表示抗議。）片語為walk out。

lockdown：指（對獄中因犯實施）禁閉、封鎖。

appal：讓人毛骨悚然、感到驚駭，如︰The state of the kitchen appalled her.（廚房裡的狀況令她大吃一驚。）形容詞appalled亦指令人驚駭、喪膽的， 如︰Rescue workers were appalled at what they saw.（救難人員都被眼前的景象嚇呆了。）