VOA标准英语2009年-Iranian Opposition Protests Resurface Duri

By Jessica Desvarieux
Cairo
18 September 2009

 
Iranian opposition¹ supporters attend protest in Tehran, 18 Sep 2009
Thousands of Iranian opposition supporters marched through the streets of the capital Friday, ignoring government warnings not to turning the country's annual anti-Israel rallies into a day of anti-government protests.

Iranian opposition supporters defied a heavy security presence and a warning from authorities not to turn Friday's annual al-Quds day into a day of protest.

Some clashes were reported as anti-government protesters chanted "death to the dictator" and threw stones at security forces. The protests, which challenge the credibility of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed June re-election, took place as tens of thousands of pro-government marchers turned out for rallies and speeches to support Palestinians and condemn² Israel.

Director of the Center for Arab & Iranian Studies Ali Nourizadeh says the anti-government protests show that Mr. Ahmadinejad's credibility is still challenged despite two months of virtually no opposition rallies.

"But the turnout today was amazing and that shows that the Green Movement and the opposition movement is not something that you can just cross over as they try to say that it's finished," he said. "'We are in control and Mr. Ahmadinejad is our beloved president and nothing is going to happen.' No. The people showed today that as soon as they see an opportunity they will grab it."

At one of the opposition rallies, a group of hard-liners attacked reformist former president Mohammad Khatami. According to a report on a reformist Web site Khatami was pushed to the ground.

Also Iranian official IRNA news agency reported that former presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi was forced to abandon his plans to take part in the rally after an angry crowd of hardliners attacked his car.

Nourizadeh says this use of force is characteristic of the Ahmadinejad administration.

"They used tear gas and clubs and they've beaten the people," he said. "But the protesters and the reformist, they were so civilized³ and they came ready to deal with the amount of cruelty that they may use against them."

But despite opposition protests, al-Quds day rallies drew large crowds.

Many of the marchers chanted "Death to Israel" as they marched the streets of Tehran.

 
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers weekly Friday prayer sermon at Tehran University during parade marking al-Quds Day in Tehran, 18 Sep 2009
In his address to the country Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has again called the Holocaust⁴ a lie by western nations designed to create a pretext⁵ for the creation of the Jewish state of Israel.

The Iranian president called the Holocaust a myth and an unproveable lie designed to promote support for Israel.

The annual al-Quds or Jerusalem Day rallies take place on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.  The commemoration was established in 1979 by the Islamic Republic's founder⁶ Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. 

 

1 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。

2 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

3 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

4 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

5 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

6 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。