美国国家公共电台 NPR--Countries worldwide consider how to help protesters in Iran

Countries worldwide consider how to help protesters in Iran

Transcript¹

As a United Nations council considers the crackdown in Iran, the US and other countries are looking at what they can do to support protesters seeking more freedom.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

While young Iranians continue two months of street protests, the U.S. and other countries are looking at whether there are things they can do to support their demands for more freedom. The United Nations Human Rights Council is discussing it today in Switzerland. Beth Van Schaack, who heads the State Department's Global Criminal Justice Office, says that it's a step in the right direction.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BETH VAN SCHAACK: We know that young people are really in the lead here and that young people have borne the brunt of this crackdown. The Human Rights Council has not in the past really focused its attention in a laser way on Iran. And the recent events have finally sort of woken that institution up.

MART?NEZ: But what can the international community really do? Joining us to talk about all this is NPR's Michele Kelemen. Michele, so first of all, tell us about this meeting in Geneva.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE²: So they voted to set up a group that can kind of sift³ through the evidence of human rights violations⁴ in Iran and gather material that could eventually be used in trials. There have been lots of reports of violations. These protests began over the death in custody⁵ of a young Iranian woman back in September. And activists⁶ say several hundred Iranians have been killed since then, including many teenagers. There have been thousands of people arrested, reports of torture, reports of executions and lots of online video evidence. I talked to Iranian American humans right lawyer Gissou Nia, and she told me that a U.N. fact-finding team could help verify these videos and reports. Take a listen.

GISSOU NIA: Having a dedicated⁷ team that can do that and sort of put the imprint⁸ of an international, independent investigative process is really key, in my view.

KELEMEN: And she says that would give the world a clearer picture of what's happening in Iran and can help shape the international response.

MART?NEZ: The U.S. and Europe have also been imposing⁹ sanctions on Iranian officials that are involved in the crackdown. Is there any more they can do?

KELEMEN: Yeah. There were actually more names added to a U.S. sanctions list just this week. And that will likely continue. There were also some other kind of more symbolic¹⁰ things that can be done to isolate¹¹ Iran diplomatically. Many Iranian women and their supporters abroad want Iran kicked off the U.N. Commission on Women, for instance. The U.S. says it's working on that. There's going to be a meeting in New York in early December to discuss ways to get Iran off that commission or at least suspended from it.

MART?NEZ: But most of these things are - what? - symbolic, so why not do more?

KELEMEN: Well, you know, the U.S. is working with tech companies, for instance, to help Iranians communicate with each other and get around internet restrictions¹². There's always a danger, though, that this kind of direct support could backfire and put protesters at even more risk because Iranian leaders always accuse the U.S. and Israel of fomenting¹³ unrest in the country. They call these protests riots. And activists say that's one reason why it's important to bring these issues up at the U.N. and get non-Western countries on board to pressure Iran.

MART?NEZ: Now, before the protest, the big question was whether the U.S. and other world powers and Iran would revive the Iran nuclear deal. And that's aimed at preventing Iran from making nuclear weapons. Where does the nuclear diplomacy¹⁴ with Iran fit into all this?

KELEMEN: Well, Iran's been making major advances to its nuclear program. And the White House says it's watching all that with deep concern. The U.S. still thinks the best way to contain Iran's nuclear program is through diplomacy. But it says Iran has been adding too many demands. And the world's focus now is on the protesters.

MART?NEZ: All right. That's NPR's Michele Kelemen. Michele, thanks.

KELEMEN: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 sift   

v.筛撒，纷落，详察

参考例句：

• Sift out the wheat from the chaff.把小麦的壳筛出来。
• Sift sugar on top of the cake.在蛋糕上面撒上糖。

4 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

5 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

8 imprint   

n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记

参考例句：

• That dictionary is published under the Longman imprint.那本词典以朗曼公司的名义出版。
• Her speech left its imprint on me.她的演讲给我留下了深刻印象。

9 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

10 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

11 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

13 fomenting   

v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They accused him of fomenting political unrest. 他们指控他煽动政治动乱。
• Three sailors were fomenting a mutiny on the ship. 三个水手正在船上煽动叛变。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。