VOA慢速英语2015 伊朗针对穆斯林开发的“清真”网络将采取下一步措施

Iran's Next Step in Building a 'Halal' Internet 伊朗针对穆斯林开发的“清真”网络将采取下一步措施

For years, officials in Iran have talked about building what they call a “Halal Internet” – an Internet for Iranians completely separate from the rest of the world.  Recently, government officials in Iran unveiled a new measure in their continuing effort to monitor where its citizens can and cannot go online. It is an Iran-only search engine called “Yooz.”

Yooz is the Persian word for “cheetah.” Iranians, especially young Iranians, are big Internet users. Western-based search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo are very popular. But Yooz is designed to be the opposite of those sites.

Officials say Yooz will perform searches of Iran-based and Persian language websites. Mehdi Naghavi is the Minister for Information and Communications Technology. He oversees¹ Yooz. Mr. Naghavi says the search engine will collect search information for users to make searches faster and “more secure.” Mr. Naghavi says Yooz will, in his words, “help Iranians circumvent² the U.S.-led economic sanctions and grant the academic world the access to the Persian cyberspace³.”

Iranian officials monitor Internet traffic in and out of Iran closely. Yooz is the latest tool to filter out material and websites the government finds objectionable. Officials are constantly blocking new websites created by free speech activists⁴. During national elections and sensitive times, they even slowed down Internet traffic leaving users frustrated⁵.

Some technology experts doubt Iran’s claims of building a completely separate national Internet. They say Iran has built what they call a “filternet” – a heavily censored⁶ and filtered Internet.

British Small Media is a web analysis company. In a recent report, it states that Iran is investing in a “filternet” and has doubled the budget for Information and Communications Technology in just a few years. The report also states that popular websites and applications such as Instagram and WhatsApp are being blocked more frequently.

Critics argue whether it is even possible for a country to turn back once it is connected to the Internet. Egypt and Syria tried to block the Internet during sensitive times. Both countries found the effects of blocking its citizens from the Internet even more damaging.

China’s “Great Firewall” is the largest web filtering and censorship operation in the world. Chinese officials use it to filter objectionable speech while permitting the free flow of international trade. But even that system is not foolproof. Internet users in China can still circumvent filters from the government using Tor, VPNs and Psiphon to hide their activities.

But it is clear that Iranians should not use Yooz if they want to search the entire Internet.

Words in This Story

censor⁷ – v.  to examine books, movies, letters, etc., in order to remove things that are considered to be offensive, immoral⁹, harmful to society, etc.

filter – v. to remove something unwanted by using a filter

foolproof – adj. done, made, or planned so well that nothing can go wrong

objectionable – adj. not good or right

Psiphon – n. a system of communication technologies that permit Internet users to bypass government filters and censors⁸.

Tor – n. a type of software used to prevent people from learning one’s location or Internet browsing¹⁰ history

VPN – n.  a network that uses the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to a network; an abbreviation for Virtual Private Network

unveil – v. to show or reveal something to others for the first time

1 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

2 circumvent   

vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜

参考例句：

• Military planners tried to circumvent the treaty.军事策略家们企图绕开这一条约。
• Any action I took to circumvent his scheme was justified.我为斗赢他的如意算盘而采取的任何行动都是正当的。

3 cyberspace   

n.虚拟信息空间，网络空间，计算机化世界

参考例句：

• She travels in cyberspace by sending messages to friends around the world.她利用电子空间给世界各地的朋友们发送信件。
• The teens spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family.青少年花费在电脑上的时间比他们和真正的朋友及家人在一起的时间要多。

4 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》

5 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 censored   

受审查的，被删剪的

参考例句：

• The news reports had been heavily censored . 这些新闻报道已被大幅删剪。
• The military-backed government has heavily censored the news. 有军方撑腰的政府对新闻进行了严格审查。

7 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

8 censors   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。
• The censors let out not a word. 检察官一字也不发。

9 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

10 browsing   

v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息

参考例句：

• He sits browsing over[through] a book. 他坐着翻阅书籍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cattle is browsing in the field. 牛正在田里吃草。 来自《简明英汉词典》