美国国家公共电台 NPR Why Do Russian Journalists Keep Falling?

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Maybe Maxim¹ Borodin was depressed² in ways his friends just didn't recognize and threw himself off his fifth-floor balcony this week in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Maxim Borodin was 32 and a reporter for the local Novy Den³ website, where he'd done tough stories about crime and political corruption⁴, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, the oligarch indicted⁵ by the United States for running the troll factory that helped Russia try to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Maxim Borodin wasn't just reporting on the latest craze in spa treatments. Reporters for the website say there were no signs of a struggle in his apartment. But he'd been previously⁶ threatened for his stories. And Paulina Rumyantseva, his editor, told CNN, as Maxim had big plans for his personal life and career, there is nothing to support a verdict of suicide.

Journalism⁷ is a dangerous trade in Russia. At least 35 Russian journalists have been murdered since 2000, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Glasnost Defense⁸ Foundation. They weren't covering shooting wars or riots but powerful Russian institutions. A surprising number have implausibly fallen or slipped to their deaths. In March 2007, Ivan Safronov, who was investigating the sale of Russian arms to Iran and Syria, died after falling from a fifth-floor window. It was ruled a suicide. In

November 2009, the independent broadcaster Olga Kotovskaya fell to her death from a 14th floor window. She'd been battling for control of her station with a member of the government. Her death - also ruled a suicide. February 2012, Victor Afanasenko, editor of a newspaper that had been investigating paramilitary raids in southern Russia, died after slipping in his home. November 2015, Mikhail Lesin, often described as President Putin's state media czar - but had fallen out of favor with him - was found dead after a fall in his hotel room in Washington, D.C. The FBI says he fell from extreme drinking and blunt force trauma⁹ to the head and injuries to his neck, arms, legs, and torso. That must have been some fall.

March 2017, Nikolai Gorokhov, the lawyer for Sergei Magnitsky, who was the source of reporting on Russia's largest tax fraud, fell from a fourth-story window while trying to move a bathtub. Russian authorities made that explanation with a straight face. Mr. Gorokhov remains¹⁰ in a coma¹¹. Their names are on a roll of honor with almost 30 more dauntless Russian reporters. Let us hope brave Russian journalists stay away from windows.

[POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: In the audio of this story, as well as in an earlier Web version, lawyer Nikolai Gorokhov is incorrectly described as being in a coma. He has recovered from his March 2017 fall. ]

(SOUNDBITE OF E*VAX'S "THE PROCESS OF LEAVING")

1 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

2 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

3 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。