2006年VOA标准英语-Moscow Police Break Up Planned March by Gay Rig

By Bill Gasperini
Moscow
27 May 2006

Russian police prevented gay rights activists² from marching in Moscow Saturday, and dozens of people, including the rally's main organizer, were arrested as Russian nationalists confronted the activists.

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Russian police officers detain a gay activist¹ outside the Kremlin in Moscow
  

Police moved in when gay activists tried to approach a large park near the Kremlin, where they had planned to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But police closed the park entrance, and when the activists approached, they were confronted by Russian nationalists, who carried icons³ and threw lighted flares⁴ at them.

Scuffles broke out and police detained about 100 people, including the rally's main organizer, Nikolai Alexeyev. Some anti-gay protesters were among those detained.

Moscow city authorities had refused to give the gay activists permission to hold a parade to mark the day in 1993 that homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia. While that Soviet-era law may have been amended⁵, homosexuality was still classified as a mental illness until 1999.

And anti-gay feelings still run deep in the country, especially among nationalists and religious groups.

Nationalists holding Orthodox icons used a megaphone to proclaim they would not allow "Sodom and Gomorra" in Moscow.

Moscow's gay community had wanted to hold a gay pride parade, similar to ones that are held in many cities around the world. They invited gay activists from across Europe to participate in the march and a series of events leading up to it.

But Moscow's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, reaffirmed the decision to prohibit any parades or rallies, saying people should not be allowed to publicly display what he called their "deviations⁶."

Russian homosexuals say they suffer from overt⁷ discrimination and even violence, and there have been recent attacks on gays.

Some in Russia's gay community opposed the plan to march on Saturday, saying it would only make matters worse for them.

But other activists said it is time to demonstrate their determination to change what they see as another example of xenophobia and racism⁸ in Russia.

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 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》

3 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

4 flares   

n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开

参考例句：

• The side of a ship flares from the keel to the deck. 船舷从龙骨向甲板外倾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation. 他是火爆性子，一点就着。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

6 deviations   

背离，偏离( deviation的名词复数 )； 离经叛道的行为

参考例句：

• Local deviations depend strongly on the local geometry of the solid matrix. 局部偏离严格地依赖于固体矩阵的局部几何形状。
• They were a series of tactical day-to-day deviations from White House policy. 它们是一系列策略上一天天摆脱白宫政策的偏向。

7 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

8 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。