VOA标准英语2010年-Media Crackdown Continues in Egypt Ahe

Egyptians go to the polls Sunday in the first phase of parliamentary elections amid reports of growing restrictions¹ on local and foreign media coverage². Hisham Kassem is the former publisher of the Egypt's first independent daily newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Youm. He is also the former chairman of the Egypt Organization of Human Rights. He tells VOA reporter Cecily Hilleary that the government has harassed³ both local and foreign media outlets⁴ but that broadcast media have faced the worst of the crackdown.
Hilleary: Let me ask you about the climate in Egypt now, just three days before parliamentary elections take place. The government of President Hosni Mubarak says the elections will be free and fair, but we hear reports of a tough crackdowns, not just on the opposition⁵, but the press.? What's the atmosphere in the media as we head toward Sunday?
Hisham: Well, there's been all sorts of harassment⁶ to international media, to local media, with broadcasts, specifically, because that's where the high viewership is. The local satellite channels, which are all owned by big businessmen and recently, there was a crackdown. Seventeen channels were closed down, the bulk of them on grounds of inciting⁷ sectarian strife⁸.
But also, warnings were made to other channels who have nothing but political talk shows, and the tone in covering elections is much lower, and they are trying to avoid broadcast of anything that might annoy the regime.
The regime launched a complaint I think, or made a statement against the BBC World Service recently and they seem to be really annoyed because of the BBC's impartial⁹ coverage of what's going on.
With print, it's a little more open, because the reach of print is much lower. However, there is still that cautious tone in covering the days leading up to the elections.
Hilleary: How much access will journalists have to the polling itself?
Kassem: OK, we need to wait ‘til election day. However, as an observer, I don't think that the media will be given much access to covering the elections.
Hilleary: What about wire services and foreign journalists?
VOA - E. ArrottThe defacement is being blamed on security forces., Other opposition candidates have also seen their campaign posters marred¹⁰ in Alexandria, Egypt, 22 Nov 2010Kassem: I don't think anybody's going to have privileges, foreign or local media. I think the government will try and keep them away from the actual voting process, as they are being very hostile with them right now about them covering the days running up to the elections, when any irregularities are practiced by the government.
Hilleary: I understand that there have been calls for a boycott¹¹ of coverage. How many journalists do you feel will be refusing to cover the election?
Kassem: I don't think that's going to be the case. The whole media setup here hardly do [sic] any collective bargaining with the regime. So it's not likely that they won't cover.? Maybe a few channels, a few papers, but on the whole, there will be coverage.
Hilleary: How much coverage can you have if you're discouraged by the regime?
Kassem: Well, they'll try to cover, okay? But they might go through difficult times doing that, and the regime will try and block them as much as possible.
Hilleary: And how is the regime blocking reporters?
Kassem: Well, I mean, access to polling stations has in the past been a problem to voters as well. So by having barricades¹² around, making sure that only those they want in will be allowed in. They can keep the journalists out.
Hilleary: How different do you think this will be from 2005's elections?
Kassem: I think it's going to be far uglier, because in the past three elections or so, things started getting really ugly. Violence unseen before in Egyptian elections began to take place. So everybody is prepared, including some of the opposition candidates, to use violence.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

3 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

4 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》

5 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。

6 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。

7 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

8 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

9 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

10 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

11 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

12 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。