2007年VOA标准英语-Activists Say Police Continue Brutalizing Zimba

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
23 March 2007

Zimbabwean police this week launched attacks against activists² in communities around Harare. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, that reports of the violence are coming from doctors and community organizations who say more than 100 people have been injured.

 
Zimbabwean opposition³ leader Morgan Tsvangirai is seen in bed at a local hospital in Harare, 14 Mar¹ 2007
Mike Davies, chairman of the Combined Harare Residents' Association, who was himself detained two weeks ago, told reporters the wave of violence is more systematic⁴ and comprehensive than that meted⁵ out to political leaders last week.

Mr. Davies says the police attacks, which usually take the form of beatings on the feet and legs, is designed to instill fear and keep Zimbabweans cowed.

He added that President Robert Mugabe is using the violence to promote his agenda.

Earlier this week, Mr. Mugabe told his critics "to go hang" and promised to, in his words "bash" his opponents again.

Doctors have told VOA that it is difficult to know how many people have been injured as many cannot afford bus fares to reach medical help. One doctor said the injuries are more pervasive⁶ than those he saw during the 2002 presidential election and that many patients are able only to hobble out of his clinic.

 
Archbishop Pius Ncube addresses a news conference in Harare, 22 Mar 2007
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube told a Johannesburg media conference that leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community -- SADC -- should come up with specific proposals to deal with the Zimbabwe crisis when they meet in Tanzania in the next week or two.

"On the forthcoming SADC meeting, heads of state need to place Zimbabwe high on the agenda and to develop a concrete proposal on how to promote dialogue between all parties in Zimbabwe; the purpose of this dialogue would be to develop a SADC road map for Zimbabwe," he said.

Tendai Biti, a member of parliament who belongs to the opposition group Movement for Democratic Change, also addressed the Johannesburg conference. He was among those activists who were beaten in police custody⁷ last week. Speaking to reporters, he said that any dialogue in Zimbabwe must lead to a new constitution.

"A dialogue that will ensure that we have a transitional constitution, and a transitional authority that will run our country until we Zimbabweans write a constitution for ourselves, by ourselves," said Biti.

"And after that, we hope that we will have free and fair elections in our country under international supervision⁸, and then hopefully after those free and fair elections we can begin the process of reconstructing our country," he added.

In a related development, there are reports of a three-page police watch list of individuals Zimbawe authorities want to prevent from leaving Zimbabwe. Last weekend, several opposition leaders were stopped at Harare International Airport and were not allowed to leave the country.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

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 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

5 meted   

v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The severe punishment was meted out to the unruly hooligan. 对那个嚣张的流氓已给予严厉惩处。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The money was meted out only after it had been carefully counted. 钱只有仔细点过之后才分发。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

7 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。

8 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。