VOA标准英语2009-Egypt Begins Registration of 1st Arabic Lang

By Elizabeth Arrott
Cairo
16 November 2009

Egypt says it has begun registration¹ for the first Arabic language Internet domain². The move is part of efforts to let users of non-Latin script have better access to the Web.

 

 
The new domain name will be "dot.msr" (pronounced either misr or masr), Arabic for Egypt, and promises to open up the Web to millions of Arabic-only readers.

Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Tarek Kamel announced the move at the fourth Internet Governance Forum³, under way in the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh.

The U.N.-backed forum is building on a decision by the body responsible for domains⁴, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, to allow Web site addresses in any language. 

ICANN says about half the Internet users around the world don't use a Latin-based script as their native language, adding the change will affect billions of potential users.

The group says requests by governments for domain names should be approved and come online next year. Individual Web addresses would then follow.
 
U.N. Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang highlighted the reason for this year's conference, "Creating Opportunities for All," at Sunday's opening session.

"It will allow us to reexamine and reflect upon the main theme of the IGF: access, diversity, openness, security and critical Internet resources," Sha said.

Media rights groups welcome the end of Latin-alphabet Web domination.

But Soazig Dollet of Paris-based Reporters Without Borders says it is laughable that Egypt should be in the front of the movement.

"The fact that Egypt is launching this Arabic domain Monday is ironic⁵, really, regarding the situation of freedom on the Internet today in this country. Egypt is one of the enemies of the Internet. And Internet governance requires regulations," Dollet said.

Reporters Without Borders is one of several media and human rights groups that have expressed concern about Egyptian opposition⁶ figures who have been detained for their Internet writings.

Dollet adds that while there are other Arabic-speaking countries that do not control the Internet as much as Egypt, it is not clear how long that relative freedom will last.

1 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

2 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

3 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

4 domains   

n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产

参考例句：

• The theory of thermodynamics links the macroscopic and submicroscopic domains. 热力学把宏观世界同亚微观世界联系起来。 来自辞典例句
• All three flow domains are indicated by shading. 所有三个流动区域都是用阴影部分表示的。 来自辞典例句

5 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

6 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。