Government Removes Nicky Winmar Statue

A2

Government Removes Nicky Winmar Statue

政府移除 Nicky Winmar 雕像


Introduction

The government of Western Australia took away a statue of Nicky Winmar from Perth Stadium.

西澳大利亞政府將 Nicky Winmar 從珀斯體育場的雕像移走。

Main Body

A court in Bendigo said Mr. Winmar hit a woman in May 2025. He pulled her hair and hit her head against a door. The judge believed the woman.

班迪戈的一家法院表示,Winmar 先生在 2025 年 5 月擊打了一名女性。他拉扯她的頭髮並將她的頭撞在門上。法官相信該女性的說法。

The statue started in 2019. It showed Mr. Winmar's fight against racism in 1993. But now, the leader Roger Cook says the statue must go. He says violence against women is wrong.

該雕像於 2019 年設立,旨在展現 Winmar 先生在 1993 年對抗種族歧視的奮鬥。但現在,領導人 Roger Cook 表示該雕像必須移除。他認為對女性施暴是錯誤的。

Six workers used a big crane to move the statue on Sunday morning. Now, the statue is in a safe room. The government does not know where it will go next.

週日上午,六名工人使用大型起重機移走了該雕像。目前,該雕像被安置在一個安全房間內。政府尚未決定接下來將其安置於何處。

Conclusion

The government moved the statue because Mr. Winmar broke the law.

政府移除雕像是因為 Winmar 先生違法。

Vocabulary Learning

⚡ Quick Logic: Past Actions

In this story, we see how to talk about things that already happened. Notice how the words change slightly to show the past.

The Pattern: Just add -ed

  • MoveMoved (The government moved the statue)
  • StartStarted (The statue started in 2019)
  • PullPulled (He pulled her hair)

The Rule-Breakers (Special Words) Some words don't follow the "-ed" rule. You just have to remember them:

  • TakeTook (The government took away a statue)
  • SaySaid (A court said...)
  • GoWent (Not in text, but opposite of Go)

💡 Pro Tip for A2: When you see a word like "was" or "did", you are traveling back in time.

Example: "The statue is in a room" (Now) → "The statue was in the stadium" (Before).

Vocabulary Learning

government (n.)
The group of people who control a country or state
Example:The government makes new laws for the city.
statue (n.)
A model of a person made from stone or metal
Example:There is a big statue of a king in the park.
court (n.)
A place where a judge decides if someone broke the law
Example:The man had to go to court for his crime.
racism (n.)
Treating someone badly because of their skin color
Example:We must teach children that racism is wrong.
violence (n.)
Using physical force to hurt someone
Example:The police want to stop violence in the streets.
crane (n.)
A large machine used for lifting heavy things
Example:The workers used a crane to lift the heavy box.
B2

Nicky Winmar Statue Removed After Criminal Convictions

Nicky Winmar 因刑事定罪而被移除雕像


Introduction

The Western Australian government has arranged for the removal of a bronze statue of former Australian Football League (AFL) player Nicky Winmar from Perth Stadium.

西澳政府已安排將前澳洲足球聯盟 (AFL) 球員 Nicky Winmar 位於珀斯體育場的青銅雕像移除。

Main Body

The removal was caused by a court decision in Bendigo, where a magistrate found Mr. Winmar guilty of three counts of assault. These convictions relate to an incident in May 2025 in Cohuna, Victoria, involving a female victim. Although the defendant claimed that the woman had lied and that he had been hit in the face, the magistrate decided that the witness was believable. Specifically, he was convicted of pulling the victim by her hair and hitting her head against a door.

此次移除是由於本迪戈法院的一項決定,該地法官裁定 Winmar 先生三項傷害罪名成立。這些定罪與 2025 年 5 月在維多利亞州 Cohuna 發生的一起涉及一名女性受害者的事件有關。儘管被告聲稱該名女性撒謊且其面部遭到擊打,但法官認定證人的證詞可信。具體而言,他被裁定扯住受害者的頭髮並將其頭部撞向門板。

The statue was originally installed in July 2019 to remember Mr. Winmar's 1993 protest against racism during a game against Collingwood. In the past, the government described this event as a key reason for creating anti-racism rules in the sport. However, Premier Roger Cook and his current leadership team decided that the statue could no longer stay. Premier Cook emphasized that removing the monument was necessary to show that society rejects violence against women.

該雕像最初於 2019 年 7 月安裝,旨在紀念 Winmar 先生 1993 年在與 Collingwood 隊比賽期間針對種族主義的抗議行動。過去,政府將此事件描述為該項運動制定反種族主義規則的關鍵原因。然而,州長 Roger Cook 及其現任領導團隊決定該雕像不能再保留。Cook 州長強調,移除此紀念碑是必要的,以表明社會拒絕對女性施加暴力。

On Sunday morning, a team of about six people used a crane to take down the sculpture. VenuesWest, the organization that manages the stadium, confirmed that the statue is now in secure storage while they decide what to do with it. Notably, the removal took place at the start of NAIDOC Week.

週日上午,一支約六人的團隊使用起重機將雕像拆除。管理該體育場的組織 VenuesWest 確認,雕像目前存放於安全儲藏室,而他們則決定如何處理。值得注意的是,移除行動是在 NAIDOC 週開始時進行的。

Conclusion

The statue has been moved to storage after the state government decided that the subject's criminal convictions made the monument inappropriate for public display.

由於州政府決定當事人的刑事定罪使該紀念碑不適合公開展示,雕像已被移至儲藏室。

Vocabulary Learning

🚀 THE 'B2 LEAP': FROM BASIC TO FORMAL

An A2 student says: "The government took the statue away because he did bad things."

A B2 student says: "The government arranged for the removal of the statue due to his criminal convictions."

See the difference? To reach B2, you must stop using 'simple' verbs (do, take, get) and start using Nominalization (turning actions into nouns).


🔍 Analysis: Turning Verbs into 'Weighty' Nouns

Look at how the article transforms simple actions into formal concepts:

  • Action: To remove \rightarrow B2 Noun: The removal
  • Action: To convict \rightarrow B2 Noun: Convictions
  • Action: To protest \rightarrow B2 Noun: Protest

Why do this? In professional English, using the noun form makes you sound objective and authoritative. Instead of focusing on who did it, you focus on the event itself.


🛠️ The 'B2 Tool Kit' from the Text

If you want to upgrade your speaking, swap these A2 patterns for the B2 patterns found in the text:

A2 Level (Basic)B2 Level (Advanced)Context from Article
He was found guiltyCriminal convictions"...subject's criminal convictions"
They put it thereOriginally installed"The statue was originally installed"
It is importantA key reason"...a key reason for creating rules"
He saidEmphasized"Premier Cook emphasized that..."

💡 Pro Tip: The 'Passive' Bridge

Notice the sentence: "The statue was originally installed..."

At A2, you only use the active voice ("They installed the statue"). At B2, you use the Passive Voice to shift the focus to the object. When the object (the statue) is more important than the people who moved it, use: [Object] + [be] + [Past Participle].

Vocabulary Learning

conviction (n.)
A formal declaration by a court of law that someone is guilty of a criminal offense.
Example:The defendant faced a prison sentence following his conviction for fraud.
magistrate (n.)
A civil officer or lay judge who administers the law in a local court.
Example:The magistrate listened to both sides of the argument before delivering the verdict.
believable (adj.)
Capable of being accepted as true; convincing.
Example:The witness provided a believable account of the accident that matched the security footage.
emphasized (v.)
To give special importance or prominence to something in speaking or writing.
Example:The teacher emphasized the importance of reviewing the notes before the final exam.
monument (n.)
A statue, building, or other structure erected to commemorate a famous person or event.
Example:The city built a grand monument to honor the soldiers who fought in the war.
inappropriate (adj.)
Not suitable or proper in the circumstances.
Example:Wearing casual clothes to a formal wedding is considered inappropriate.
C2

Removal of the Nicky Winmar Monument Following Criminal Convictions

Nicky Winmar 因被判刑事罪名而遭移除紀念像


Introduction

The Western Australian government has overseen the removal of a bronze statue depicting former Australian Football League (AFL) player Nicky Winmar from Perth Stadium.

西澳洲政府已監督將一座描繪前澳式足球聯賽(AFL)球員 Nicky Winmar 的銅像從珀斯體育場移除。

Main Body

The removal was precipitated by a judicial determination in a Bendigo court, where a magistrate found Mr. Winmar guilty of two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault. The convictions pertain to an incident in May 2025 in Cohuna, Victoria, involving the assault of a female complainant. While the defendant asserted that the complainant had provided false testimony and claimed he had been struck in the face, the magistrate deemed the witness credible. The specific actions for which he was convicted included the forceful manipulation of the victim by her hair and the repeated striking of her head against a door.

此次移除是由於班迪戈法院的一項司法裁定,一名地方法官裁定 Winmar 先生兩項普通法襲擊罪及一項非法襲擊罪名成立。這些定罪涉及 2025 年 5 月在維多利亞州 Cohuna 發生的一起襲擊女性原告的事件。雖然被告堅稱原告提供了虛假證詞並聲稱其面部被擊中,但地方法官認定該名證人具有可信度。他被定罪的具體行為包括強行扯住受害者的頭髮,並將其頭部反覆撞擊門板。

Historically, the monument, commissioned by the AFL and sculpted by Louis Laumen, was installed in July 2019 to commemorate Mr. Winmar's 1993 protest against racial vilification during a match against Collingwood. This event was previously characterized by the administration of former Premier Mark McGowan as a catalyst for the implementation of anti-vilification regulations within the sport. However, the current executive leadership, under Premier Roger Cook, determined that the statue's continued presence was untenable. Premier Cook stated that the removal was necessary to communicate a societal rejection of violence against women.

從歷史上看,這座由 AFL 委託並由 Louis Laumen 雕刻的紀念像於 2019 年 7 月安裝,旨在紀念 Winmar 先生在 1993 年對陣 Collingwood 的比賽中對種族誹謗進行的抗議。前州長 Mark McGowan 的政府此前將此事件描述為該運動實施反誹謗法規的催化劑。然而,由現任州長 Roger Cook 領導的行政團隊認為,雕像繼續存在已不可行。Cook 州長表示,移除雕像是必要的,以傳達社會對女性暴力行為的拒絕。

Logistically, the decommissioning of the sculpture was executed on Sunday morning by a crew of approximately six personnel utilizing a crane. VenuesWest, the state-managed entity responsible for the facility, has confirmed that the artifact is currently in secure storage pending a final determination regarding its disposition. The timing of the removal coincided with the commencement of NAIDOC Week.

在後勤執行上,雕像的拆除工作於週日上午由一支約六人的團隊使用起重機完成。負責該設施的州政府管理機構 VenuesWest 已確認,該藝術品目前存放於安全倉庫中,等待關於其處置方式的最終決定。移除的時間點恰逢 NAIDOC 週的開始。

Conclusion

The statue has been relocated to secure storage following the state government's decision that the subject's criminal convictions rendered the monument inappropriate.

由於州政府決定該對象的刑事定罪使得紀念像不再合適,雕像已被移至安全倉庫。

Vocabulary Learning

The Architecture of Institutional Detachment

To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond simple 'formal' vocabulary and master Lexical Distancing. This is the art of using clinical, Latinate, and bureaucratic terminology to strip an event of its raw emotion, replacing visceral descriptions with systemic ones. This is precisely what the provided text achieves through Administrative Euphemism.

🧩 The Pivot: From 'Taking Down' to 'Decommissioning'

Observe the linguistic escalation of the removal process. A B2 speaker says "They took the statue away." A C1 speaker says "The government removed the monument." A C2 speaker employs operational terminology:

*"The decommissioning of the sculpture was executed... pending a final determination regarding its disposition."

The C2 Mechanism:

  • Decommissioning: Shifts the focus from the act of removal to the status of the object. It implies a formal process rather than a physical action.
  • Disposition: This is a high-level legal term. It doesn't just mean 'where it goes,' but the final settlement of a matter.

⚖️ The 'Judicial Passive' and Agency Erasure

C2 mastery involves controlling the 'weight' of a sentence. Notice how the text handles the crime:

"The removal was precipitated by a judicial determination..."

Instead of saying "A judge's decision caused the removal," the author uses precipitated (a catalyst word) and judicial determination (a nominalization). This transforms a human decision into an inevitable systemic outcome. This is the hallmark of high-register reporting—where the agents (the judge, the government) are subsumed by the processes (the determination, the administration).

🚀 Application for the Advanced Learner

To emulate this, stop using verbs of 'doing' and start using nouns of 'state'.

B2/C1 ApproachC2 Institutional approach
He was found guilty.The convictions pertain to...
It was too bad to keep.Its continued presence was untenable.
They moved it to a warehouse.The artifact is currently in secure storage.

The Scholarly Takeaway: C2 proficiency is not about 'big words'; it is about the strategic use of Nominalization (turning verbs into nouns) to create an aura of objectivity and authority.

Vocabulary Learning

precipitated (v.)
To cause an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable, to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.
Example:The sudden collapse of the bank precipitated a global financial crisis.
pertain (v.)
To be appropriate, applicable, or related to a specific matter.
Example:The new regulations pertain specifically to the handling of hazardous materials.
vilification (n.)
Abusive or derogatory statements used to speak ill of someone, often targeting their race, religion, or identity.
Example:The athlete spoke out against the systemic vilification he faced during his early career.
catalyst (n.)
A person or thing that precipitates an event or accelerates a process of change.
Example:The protest served as a catalyst for the government to overhaul its civil rights legislation.
untenable (adj.)
Not able to be maintained or defended against objection or attack.
Example:The CEO's position became untenable after the scandal was leaked to the press.
decommissioning (n.)
The process of taking a piece of equipment or a facility out of active service.
Example:The decommissioning of the nuclear power plant will take several decades to complete.
disposition (n.)
The final settlement of a matter, or the act of getting rid of something.
Example:The court has not yet decided on the final disposition of the seized assets.
Practice All words in a crossword