VOA标准英语2010年-3 US Mothers to Visit Children Held in

Laura Fattal, left, mother of Josh Fattal, Cindy Hickey, center, mother of Shane Bauer and Nora Shourd, mother of Sarah Shourd in New York. Josh, Shane and Sarah were arrested for illegal entry near the Iraq border and have been in a Tehran prison since July 2009, 16 May 2010.

The Iranian government has granted temporary visas to the mothers of three young Americans who have been held since July, after crossing into Iran from Iraq while on a hike.

 There were signs of stress and relief on the faces of Cindy Hickey and Nora Shourd as they spoke¹ about their planned trip to Iran on Tuesday.

Hickey: "We're very excited about this.  This is the best news I personally have gotten for 10 months -- that we get to wrap our arms around our children and let them know we're going to get this done."

Shourd: "We just can't wait.  We're going to have to wait a little bit longer, but it's actually going to happen.  It's becoming a reality, finally.  I can't imagine how excited they are going to be to see us and, of course, vice² versa.  We need to see our kids."

Hickey: "Our main goal is to convince the Iranian authorities to release our children.  We want to bring them home.  Coming home without them would be devastating³ and we're going very determined⁴ to bring them home."

The women said Iranian authorities have permitted only a single, one minute telephone conversation with their children since January. 

Shourd describes her daughter Sarah as a spunky, caring young woman, who had been working in Syria helping⁵ Iraqi refugees.  She was on vacation hiking in northern Iraq with Hickey's son, Shane, a photographer, and a mutual⁶ friend, Josh Fattal, when the three say they lost their way and crossed the border into Iran.

Hickey, Shourd and Laura Fattal arrived in New York on Sunday after receiving Iranian visas last week.  Their travel plans are being arranged by the Swiss government because the United States does not have diplomatic relations with Iran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry⁷ said the visas were issued on humanitarian⁸ grounds.

Shourd insists that all three hikers are innocent of spying, and says that the campaign for their release has nothing to do with politics.

"It's about how a mother would feel anywhere in the world - how an Iranian mother would feel [and] how an Iranian official who has children would feel," she said. "If they thought how difficult this has been for ourselves and our kids.  And the biggest thing we are asking is that this thing be handled in a humanitarian way and it not be mixed with diplomacy⁹ or politics."

Hickey and Shourd had a message for their children. 

Hickey: "I'd like to tell Shane, 'I love you very much.'  We're working as hard as we can for you and we will get this done and you will be home."

Shourd: "Hi sweetie.  I'll see you in a couple of days.  If you can see me now, I have a big smile on my face because I know I'm going to see you."

Shourd, Hickey and Fattal are scheduled to leave for Iran on Tuesday.  Repeated calls to the Iranian Mission to the United Nations for comment have not been returned.
 

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。