VOA标准英语2010年-Persecuted Journalists to Receive Awar

The Committee to Protect Journalists lists 25 journalists from around the world who were murdered this year because of their work. And countless¹ others face threats, prison time and harassment². Each year, the U.S.-based Committee honors journalists who risk their lives to do their jobs.
This year, four journalists will receive the International Press Freedom Award at a ceremony in New York next week. Three of them first traveled to Washington to share their thoughts with fellow journalists.
Laureano Marquez is a writer from Venezuela who uses humor in his political commentary. "We are the voice for the ones who can't speak out or don't have access to the media. In my case, my work is humor and humor has always been society's voice," he said.
The Venezuelan government wants to prosecute³ Marquez. He says the government's reaction to his writing shows how freedom of expression in Venezuela is deteriorating⁴. "Media outlets⁵ that have been critical of the government have been shut down and also some media outlets are practicing self censorship. Protest is being criminalized so that people are afraid to criticize the government," he said.
Nadira Isayeva of Russia also faces prosecution⁶. She is editor-in-chief of a weekly newspaper in the southern republic of Dagestan and has written about how Russian security forces combat Islamic militants⁷. After publishing an interview with a former guerrilla leader who accused authorities of corruption⁸, the government accused her of being an extremist. She faces the possibility of eight years in prison, but says she feels vindicated⁹ by the Press Freedom Award.
"I broke into tears because there was a lot of misunderstanding about my personal position and of the position of the newspaper in general," she said.
Ethiopian authorities jailed Dawit Kebede for nearly two years for his reporting on the country's 2005 election violence. He remained in Ethiopia, even though many of his colleagues left the country.
"I always wanted to be a journalist. It was the only thing in my mind," he said.
Kebede says the government's response to his work encourages him to continue. "As far as the government trying to undermine you, by different harassment, that's a recognition that you're doing your professional duty," he said.
Iranian journalist Mohammad Davari is serving a five-year prison sentence and cannot personally accept his award. Iranian authorities arrested him last year on charges of "mutiny against the regime," following his investigative report on the abusive treatment of prisoners. Joel Simon is the executive director of Committee to Protect Journalists. "Davari is paying a terrible personal price for doing what journalists are supposed to do, exposing corruption and abuse," he said.
The other three award winners face the same threat of prison, but they say that will not stop them from reporting the truth.

1 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

2 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

3 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

4 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

5 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》