12 Chapter 11 The Protest

Chapter 11 The Protest Maria found joy in the music and movement of her body. She wanted to share that joy with others, especially children. When a television star named Dave Garroway invited Maria to perform a dance recital for an audience of American-Indian children, Maria quickly said yes. Here was an opportunity for Princess Wa-Xthe-Thonba to bring together the two worlds in which she lived—the world of ballet and the world of Native Americans. Because the program would be on TV, many thousands of people across the country would see the performance.

玛丽亚在音乐和身体的运动中找到了快乐。 她想和其他人，尤其是孩子们分享这种快乐。 当一位名叫戴夫·加罗威的电视明星邀请玛丽亚为一群美国印第安儿童表演舞蹈时，玛丽亚很快就答应了。 对瓦xthe - thonba公主来说，这是一个将她生活的两个世界——芭蕾舞的世界和印第安人的世界——结合在一起的机会。 因为节目将在电视上播出，全国成千上万的人将看到表演。

The 1960s was a time of unrest. Across the country, people were joining hands to protest unfair treatment of people of color. African Americans marched side by side with white protesters to demand equal rights for all Americans. Native Americans, too, were protesting. Many believed that images of American Indians on television and in movies were prejudiced. Those images portrayed their people as uncivilized and savage. On the afternoon of Maria's television show, the school buses that were to bring the children to the auditorium did not arrive. Maria stood on stage in costume, but the seats were empty.

20世纪60年代是动荡不安的时期。 在全国范围内，人们携起手来抗议有色人种受到的不公平待遇。 非洲裔美国人与白人抗议者并肩游行，要求所有美国人享有平等权利。 印第安人也在抗议。 许多人认为，电视和电影中对美洲印第安人的形象是有偏见的。 这些形象把他们的人民描绘成不文明和野蛮的。 在玛丽亚的电视节目播出的那天下午，送孩子们去礼堂的校车还没有到。 玛丽亚穿着戏服站在舞台上，但座位是空的。

"Where is everybody?" Dave Garroway asked. He was angry but also worried. He had a television program to broadcast, and he had no audience. "Wait a while," someone suggested. "They'll come." An hour later, the auditorium was still dark and silent. The children never came. Maria danced that afternoon for the television cameras only. Perhaps for the first time ever, she danced without joy in her heart. "I was disappointed by the experience, and sorry that the children didn't return for the telecast," Maria said.

“人都到哪儿去了?”戴夫·加罗威问道。 他很生气，但也很担心。 他有一个电视节目要播，但他没有观众。 “等一会儿，”有人建议道。 “他们会来。”一个小时过去了，礼堂里仍然一片漆黑，一片寂静。 孩子们再也没有来。那天下午玛丽亚只为电视镜头跳舞。 也许是有生以来第一次，她跳舞时心里没有欢乐。 玛丽亚说:“我对这次经历感到失望，很抱歉孩子们没有回来看电视转播。”

Later, she learned what had happened. Some Native Americans in the Chicago area refused to bring the children to the auditorium. They thought the television people were trying to steal away their native culture, trying to make their children more American and less Native American. Maria was deeply hurt. She believed it was possible to live in two worlds. She had done it. Her sister Marjorie had done it. But most of all, Maria believed this: "The beauty of ballet should not be denied to anyone."

后来，她才知道发生了什么事。 芝加哥地区的一些印第安人拒绝带孩子们去礼堂。 他们认为电视工作者试图偷走他们的本土文化，试图让他们的孩子更美国化，而不是更美国化。 玛丽亚深受伤害。她相信生活在两个世界是可能的。 她做到了。是她姐姐玛乔丽干的。 但最重要的是，玛丽亚相信:“任何人都不应该否认芭蕾舞的美丽。”