VOA标准英语2009年-Post-Communist Tensions Between Civic, Mat

By Peter Fedynsky
Budapest
04 November 2009

The collapse¹ of the Berlin Wall came as the result of social, political and economic pressures that built up over decades behind the Iron Curtain. Its demise² has exposed some glaring material differences in post-Communist societies. Social activists³ say governments cannot narrow those differences in the absence of civic⁴ values among ordinary citizens. The civic spirit made possible a key event leading to the collapse of the Wall, and what became of it since.

 
A piece of the Iron Curtain is seen at the former Sopronpuszta border crossing point, 155 miles west of Budapest, Hungary, 26 Jun 2009
Hungary recently celebrated⁵ the 20th anniversary of the so-called Pan-European Picnic, when hundreds of East Germans pushed through Hungarian border guards and fled into Austria during a protest against the Iron Curtain in August 1989. The event sparked a mass exodus⁶ of East Germans to Hungary, who crowded into Budapest, overwhelming the West German Embassy in their bid to get to the West.

Hungarian Priest Imre Kozma ran a charity service in the city and was asked to help feed and shelter the East Germans.

Kozma says his organization turned for help to hotels, restaurants and boardinghouses, and they responded everyday with enough food to feed the entire crowd of people. He says the hotels and restaurants gave as much as they could and never asked if they would be paid or otherwise compensated⁷.

Kozma recalls that as the crisis grew, Hungarian authorities did not interfere⁸, and eventually opened the border for the first time since 1948. The event helped bring a quick and peaceful end to a half-century of communist rule.

Invisible barrier

The most prominent symbols of communism, the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall are gone. But many who lived behind those barriers say an invisible one continues to separate people from one another. Reverend Kozma notes that material concerns have squeezed out some of the civic values that underpinned⁹ the material assistance given to East German refugees in 1989.

Kozma says Hungarians are constantly being reminded that they need to take care of financial issues, as a result of which, the interests of the community are shoved aside.

Post-Communist societies have exposed vast differences between haves and have-nots. In the Polish city of Gdansk, Mayor Pawel Adamowicz says government alone cannot address the social problems of any country.
 
Adamowicz says Communism destroyed the hearts and minds of Poles who now want to rebuild solidarity¹⁰ and social bonds between people in order to enhance their willingness to volunteer and ability support one another.

Civic spirit

Civic values were the topic of a recent international seminar in Budapest. Among those participating was John Shattuck, former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Shattuck says volunteerism in Communist countries was viewed as a form of collaboration¹¹ with unpopular regimes. He says that genuine civic spirit is something that cannot be imposed.

"If it's done voluntarily and is something that comes from inside of a person who wants to make a change in his or her own life, then it does have a spiritual aspect. But it's not something that can be imposed. It is not an organizational principle and a set of funds that can come from the outside."

Shattuck notes such funds can help groups seeking to foster civic spirit in countries of the former Eastern Bloc¹², but ultimately it is up to individuals to devote the time and energy needed to restore the community values damaged by Communism. 

 

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

3 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》

4 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

7 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

8 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

9 underpinned   

v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的过去式和过去分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强

参考例句：

• The report is underpinned by extensive research. 这份报告以广泛的研究为基础。
• The statue of Diana was underpinned with charred piles. Diana雕像是建造在炭化了的木桩上的。 来自辞典例句

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

11 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

12 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。