VOA标准英语2009-International Journalists Honored with Press

News Reporters from Somalia, Tunisia, Azerbaijani, Sri Lanka cited for upholding press freedoms in their countries

Chris Simkins | Washington, DC 23 November 2009

 
The director of Somalia's largest media company (HornAfrik) was killed on the streets of Mogadishu by three masked gunmen while talking to several reporters last February

"If I need to receive or obtain certain certificates or licenses¹ from the government that is very difficult. It is very hard to reach the sources of information. There are a lot of obstacles using technological² tools such as the Internet and the telephone," Rejiba said.

Some 34 journalists died this year while doing their jobs. And the independent press organization Committee To Protect Journalists says another 30  correspondents have gone missing. In New York next Tuesday, (November 24th) members of the media from around the world will gather to honor and pay tribute to several international journalists.

In Sri Lanka, journalists scuffle with police while protesting the killing³ of a newspaper editor in Colombo in Janurary. Some human rights groups accuse the Sri Lankan government and its allies of being behind the death.

The director of Somalia's largest media company (HornAfrik) was killed on the streets of Mogadishu by three masked gunmen while talking to several reporters last February.  His former boss was killed two years earlier. The cases illustrate⁴ the risks international journalists face everyday.

Twenty-seven year old Somali journalist Mustafa Haji Abdinur knows first hand what it's like to work in one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. "If you get intimidation⁵, it is everyday. And you get some people who call you and tell you what you are doing is not good and that is a risk," he said. "Even though, I know I am taking risk and it is very dangerous to be a journalist in Somalia, I am still devoted⁶, and I need to be a journalist."

Abdinur is one of several reporters and editors the Committee to Protect Journalists is honoring with an International Press Freedom Award.

"What we are trying to shine a light on these abuses and try to expose the repressive practices of these governments," Executive Director Joel Simon said. "And by doing so provide both an emotional lift but also real support for these journalists working under very difficult conditions."

Another reporter being honored for her work is Naziha Rejiba from Tunisia. Rejiba is the editor of an online news journal (Kalima) that the Tunisian government is blocking. She explains how the Tunisian government has made it difficult  for her to do her job.

"If I need to receive or obtain certain certificates or licenses from the government that is very difficult. It is very hard to reach the sources of information. There are a lot of obstacles using technological tools such as the Internet and the telephone," Rejiba said. "And we do try as journalists to constantly circumvent⁷ these obstacles to find ways to still do our job. If we didn't no voices would be heard out of Tunisia."

Two other journalists who won Press Freedom Awards this year (JS Tissainayagam) from Sri Lanka and Azerbaijan (Eynulla Fatullayev) are both serving lengthy⁸ prison sentences on terrorism charges in their countries.  The Committee to Protect Journalists says the violence and intimidation against reporters forces many of them to quit their jobs or flee their homelands.

Mustafa Haji Abdinur says with the escalating⁹ violence in Somalia, many local and foreign journalists are leaving. "If I become one of the journalist that leaves the country then that means there would only be a few journalist left in the country now. If the few left the country that would mean there would be no news from Somalia. So in order to avoid this I preferred to remain in my country and to keep doing what I am doing," Abdinur said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says by honoring these reporters and editors, it encourages and inspires other members of the media to keep doing their jobs despite fears of violence.

1 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

2 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

5 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 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。

8 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

9 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句